Fatigues, War & Love Not Forgotten
by demeter18
Summary: Ok, so here goes my first fanfic for One Tree Hill. It will be Alternative Universe, after S4. So everything that has happened will still have occurred. The next four years-the gap between S4 & S5 is where everything will change. Leyton, Naley and Brase
1. Lucas, War & Fatigues

Fatigues, War & Love Not Forgotten

Ok, so here goes my first fanfic for One Tree Hill. It will be Alternative Universe, after S4. So everything that has happened will still have occurred. The next four years-the gap between S4 & S5 is where everything will be different. I hope you guys can bear with me on the story. It will be Leyton centric, with Naley and Brooke. I will try and not introduce too many new characters. Mainly because I would get annoyed at myself and also because the characters that have already been created can most definitely be re-written in this fic to complement the story I have in store for you guys.

I hope that you like the story, if you don't that's okay as well. Criticism is what fuels the writing too-so have at it!

_The Vietnam War is set in the future - 2007 to be exact. I have altered the real time line for the Vietnam War-this idea came to me one night-and try as I might I can't help but write it. I also wanted the advent of technology to feature in the war, (I-pods, laptops and web cams), as they will play a role in portraying the characters. I studied the Vietnam War at University so I felt like I could write about it accurately enough that I would be able to do justice to it. Hopefully you guys can give this story a chance. _

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Chapter 1 - Lucas, Fatigues & War

**A week after Graduation-everything is about to change-where will we go and what will become of us?**

**Lucas and Nathan are stationed at a military base in Saigon-they are both marines and are serving their first tour of duty.**

In the beginning all I could hear was a rustling to the left of me, I could feel a sharp intake of breath beside me. I turned around slowly and saw the fear in Nathan's eyes, he was starting to panic but he was also trying to contain his fear. I patted his shoulder and motioned for him to be silent. He nodded his head and remained still.

The whirr of the rotors echoed in the small space that Lucas and Nathan were currently crowded into. The sun was brightly shining down on Lucas's upturned face; he was holding a machine gun and scanning the scenery below for signs of trouble. His heart was pounding in his chest and small beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. Nathan sat opposite him, perfectly mirroring his actions. The tension hung thick in the confined space-it was palpable.

It started happening, everything just slowed down, seconds stretched into hours-the colour started to drain from Nathan's face. Lucas squinted his eyes-desperately trying to push the fear back down and gain control over the potentially deadly situation. The bullets tore into the fuselage, Lucas and Nathan ducked at the same time, they quickly recovered and both started firing out of the open helicopter door. The helicopter lurched to the right and started to descend slowly-but fast all at the same time. The ground rose up fast to meet their descent. Nathan stared into Lucas' eyes, desperately seeking comfort but also wanting him to know that no matter what happened they would get through it together. Lucas stared back at his little brother; he kept having little flashes of him and Nate together. It was a like a movie trailer of his life flashing before his eyes, moments with Haley, Nathan, Brooke and the last image to pass through his mind was of Peyton. She was smiling up at him and whispering his name ever so softly, and then they were kissing.

Meanwhile back at the base….

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**Haley and Peyton-talking in the Mess Hall before preparing for the USO show**

'Peyton, do you think Nate & Lucas will make it back in time for the start of the show?' Haley was nervously chewing on her bottom lip.

'Hales, they were just doing a quick fly-over, or to put it in Luke's own words', 'Babe, it's just some light recon-a couple of pictures, we'll be back before you know it-a couple of hours at the most'. Peyton was nervous, but she also wanted to assuage Haley's fears.

'Don't worry about a thing, it's gonna be okay'. Peyton didn't know if she sounded convincing or not, but she also knew that if Haley started panicking she might not be able to perform on stage. With these thoughts in mind, Peyton couldn't help but feel a cold shiver ghost it's way across her arms and down her legs. It felt like a whisper of the past was echoing in her present. She shook it off and turned towards Haley, her face lighting up into a brilliant smile.

Haley smiled back and began to feel a little less strung out, there was however something nagging her at the back of her mind. She had this ominous, foreboding feeling that she just couldn't seem to shake. Haley shook herself and put it down to performance nerves, yeah that's all it was; everything was going to be fine. Suitably calm, Haley stood up and Peyton followed suit. They walked out of the Mess hall in companionable silence, but before they could make any real headway-Brooke Davis came into view.

**Flashback-Lucas and Peyton, the day after Graduation-The Party**

I could feel his eyes on me, perhaps committing to memory what I was wearing, the expression on my face as I smiled at Brooke-whilst she was telling me all about her and Chase. I could feel my eyes begin to glaze over as Brooke gushed on about Chase. Don't get me wrong I was truly happy for her and for Chase. They both deserved the happiness they were now just finding. Despite this, I just wanted to kiss Lucas; I wanted to feel his arms around me-whispering sweet nothings to me. We had so little time left together before Nathan and him shipped out to Vietnam. I just wanted to spend my last moments with him. As these thoughts were running through my mind, Brooke leaned in and wrapped her arms around me.

A confused expression passed over my face, Brooke's lips were pressed close to my ear and she whispered; 'Just go to him P. Sawyer, besides Chase and I have some catching up to do'. I broke from her embrace, smiled into her face and whispered, 'thank you B. Davis'.

I reached for her one last time and hugged her close to me, then stepped back and smiled into her face and walked towards him. His eyes were following my every step, a small smile slowly started to spread across his face, until it was a grin. I couldn't help but chuckle at him, my love for this man had only gotten stronger over the years. First we were lovers, then not quite friends, then friends, then lovers once more.

'Hi babe', I smiled up at him and saw his emotions tumbling one over the other. I giggled at him and reached up to cup his face. He pulled me close to him and our lips met. I gently stroked the back of his head and pulled him deeper into a kiss. I could feel his lips smile against mine before he responded with fervour and started to rub circles on my lower back. The way he was touching me, intimated that he wanted me right now.

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**M-rated-so for all you readers under age, stop reading now. **

I pulled away from him and with a voice husky with desire I whispered; 'Follow me'.

We made our way over to the house, his arm wrapped around my shoulder, lightly pressing kisses into my curls. I was tingling all over, I could feel the cool breeze whisper across my forehead. I glanced around and saw the faces of my friends-some were smiling, others were laughing. A game of spin the bottle was playing as we walked through the hallway and passed the lounge. Everyone was happy, they all looked at peace-as though this was a time for them to just be young and enjoy silly and simple things. There was a distinct feeling of possibility hanging in the air. I smiled at Lucas and pulled him closer to me.

He rested his forehead against mine and lightly pressed his nose against mine. I inhaled at the intimacy of this caress and lightly pressed my lips against his, he murmured something against my lips and then ran his tongue across my bottom lip. I opened my mouth and danced a song we had done many a time before. Pretty soon we were making out, his hands were pressed into my hips tracing lazy circles across my back. I broke away and dragged him up the hallway, we both reached for the door handle at the same time. A giggle escaped my mouth and Lucas turned to me with a smile on his face that reached all the way into those gorgeous blue eyes.

'Shall we', he said. I clasped his hand tightly inside my own and pulled him into the room, I kicked my foot out from behind me and the door slammed shut.

Slow, languorous but nonetheless passionate kisses were all that existed in the room for a few seconds. I grabbed onto his collar pulling him closer to me and he started unbuttoning my shirt. He slipped it off my shoulders and lay light feathery kisses across my collarbone. My hands tugged at his shirt loosening it-enough, so that I could run my hands up and down his back. I felt him shiver and tense all at the same time. He gently grasped my chin in his hands and stared deeply into my eyes.

'Peyton, I love you'. I grinned back at him and replied 'I love you too Lucas Scott'. We kissed each other with mounting passion. My bra went flying across the room, his pants were swiftly thrown off in our haste to feel each other, skin to skin. I stood before him dressed only in my underwear.

I looked at him in and drank in the sight of this gorgeous boy dressed simply in his boxer shorts. He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist all the while we remained in a passionate kiss. I could have stayed in that moment forever, just kissing him and feeling his love for me mirroring his actions. We lay down together on the bed, he was hovering over me peppering light kisses to my torso and slowly making his way down to my belly button. I smiled and ran my hands through his dirty blond hair.

He gently began to glide my underwear down my legs, whilst placing soft open mouthed kisses first on the inside of my thighs then my kneecaps and lastly he pressed a tender kiss on my scar-he lightly grazed his tongue across it. I shivered and felt a warmth pass through me. I groaned in anticipation of what was to come, he chuckled and then moved his face back up to mine. I passionately kissed him, delving my tongue deep inside his mouth as he responded with ardour.

His eyes bore into me, liquid pools of desire, love and a passion as old as time. That look you give me inflames every sense in my being, I feel light and heavy all at the same time. Your hand reaches up to my face and you cup my chin pulling me closer to you, your lips press gently on the tip of my nose, a light flutter. I shudder inwardly, I reach across and entwine my arms around your neck, and my lips graze your eyebrows then move slowly down to your bottom lip. I press my lips against yours savouring the taste and feel of you, I look up into your eyes and see the love that burns within. Your feelings perfectly mirrored in my own, you deepen the kiss and I feel your tongue moving against my top lip. I gasp and the kiss deepens, you press me back against the bed and slowly lower yourself on top of me. I feel your hands glide up my belly and your lips pepper light kisses, leaving delicious trails each one inflaming my passion for you.

End Flashback of Graduation PartyPresent Time-Peyton and Haley have just left the Mess Hall & spot Brooke

"B. Davis", Peyton squealed in excitement as she rushed over to envelope her best friend in a tight hug.

'At ease, Peyton – I can't breathe, it's really good to see you too best friend, and Tutor Wife'. Brooke looked a little red in the face from Peyton's hug, but there was happiness in her eyes at being reunited with her two best friends.

'What are you doing here? I mean it's really good to see you?'. Haley ran over and enveloped both Peyton and Brooke in a hug. The three stood together just savouring the moment. Brooke broke away first and smiled into the two faces of the people she had been looking forward to seeing for a week.

'Ok, first off-it's really great to see you both. Second I've missed you and thirdly I'm here as Chase's wingman-well wing woman/stroke fiancée'. Brooke rushed through her small speech and broke out into a grin as the last words tumbled out of her mouth.

Peyton was the first to speak, whilst Haley stood there with her mouth opening and closing in shock.

'Congratulations! Oh my god, when did all this happen-and why are we only finding out about this now. You were never very good at keeping secrets B. Davis'. Peyton was beaming at her friend; she was more than happy to see her and with such good news as well. It warmed her heart, Brooke deserved all the happiness she could get after the last few years and well everything that had happened.

Before Brooke could speak Haley finally found her voice and echoed the same sentiments as Peyton; 'Congratulations Brooke! Wow, I'm so happy for you!'

'Thanks you guys, it's all been a bit of whirlwind. Chase got his papers the day after the Graduation party. We took some time and spent it at this little house by the beach. We talked for hours every day and then finally as the week drew to an end-he proposed'. Brooke managed to say all of this with no interruption from Peyton or Haley.

Flashback-Brooke & Chase at the beach-it's night 6 days after Graduation

'Hi Boyfriend', rasped Brooke.

'_Hey you'. He replied. 'What ya thinking about'._

'_You, us-how I don't want this to end. But I know it will, because tomorrow you have to leave and….' Chase motions with his hands for her to stop, then he leans into her face and kisses her lips gently. Brooke gently responds and then pulls back to stare into the kindest eyes she's ever known. She finds herself getting lost in them, he really is the sweetest boy-he's full of love and great surprises. _

_Before she can register what is going on. Chase is down on one knee-looking back up at her, his eyes are glistening with tears and his lips are trembling._

'_Brooke Penelope Davis, I know we haven't known each other for that long, but in the time that we have gotten to know each other I have completely and irrevocably fallen in love with you. It's the little things about you, I'm captivated by you-just a smile and I'm lost. It's the way you love your friends fiercely, your passion for life and your kindness. Everything about you makes me feel like a better version of me when I'm with you, so….' He paused to take a breath. 'Will you do me the honour of spending the rest of your life with me-so that I can make you every bit as happy as you make me?'_

_His speech had overwhelmed her, there were tears cascading down her face, her mouth opened; 'Yes, I'll marry you. I'm so in love with you. Of course I'll marry you'. Chase slid the engagement ring up her finger peppering her hand with kisses and then stood up and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Brooke smiled into the kiss and groaned as the heat between them grew. They clung to one another, both filled with a happiness they hadn't imagined possible. They spent the rest of the night expressing their love for one another and then some._

**End Flashback-Peyton is crying tears of joy and so is Haley-Brooke is grinning broadly at both of them. **

End of First Chapter-

**A/N: So a quick synopsis. Lucas & Nathan are in some sort of accident. Peyton and Haley are preparing for the USO show. Brooke has just appeared and is engaged to Chase. Although not mentioned Haley is still pregnant and won't be giving birth until a little bit later. Peyton is with Lucas. Karen, Lily and Andy will feature later on-so for the moment I won't be writing them in. Dan & Deb will appear later as well. Keith is dead in this fic and will only feature in flashbacks. Skills, Junk & Fergie will not really feature at all-Unless you guys feel like hearing about them in which case I can always write about them-during a flashback sequence.**

**The Main characters I will be focusing on will be, Lucas, Peyton, Haley, Nathan, Brooke, Chase and Baby Jamie (when he's born).**

**Lindsay will not appear in this fic, as I didn't really like her character on the show and have no real desire to include her-plus she doesn't really fit into this AU version of One Tree Hill. **

**Crazy Nanny Carrie-will also not be featured in this fic, I have numerous ways to up the drama and angst for each and everyone of the characters-so I feel no real desire to write about her character.**

**Ok, so that's my brief summary of what's going on. I have a few questions for you guys.**

**What has happened to Nate and Luke?**

**Will Peyton go into saving Lucas mode?**

**Will Haley give birth early?**

**Who will live? Who will die?**

Preview of what's coming up next….

_As the smoke cleared, all that could be seen was a charred, twisted metal mess. The helicopter had landed in a forest of trees. Luke opened his eyes and saw so much blood everywhere. He was covered in it. He craned his neck behind him; he could see branches and leaves poking through what was left of the chopper._

_It took him a few moments to clear his vision and then fear began to set in. His first thought, his only thought was; Where are Nate and Chase?_

**To be continued….**


	2. Into The Jungle

A/N: First off thanks to everyone who stumbled upon my story and read it-To the people who reviewed-you get a High Five.

Reviews are love-so if you start reading this story-go ahead and leave a token of your appreciation. I know you want to ;)

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own the characters or One Tree Hill-I just feel compelled to tell a story about a time and a place that just doesn't exist in our world reality-but nonetheless feels the need to be shared.

Chapter 2. Into The Jungle

As the smoke cleared, all that could be seen was a charred, twisted metal mess. The helicopter had landed in a forest of trees. Luke opened his eyes and saw so much blood everywhere. He was covered in it. He craned his neck behind him; he could see branches and leaves poking through what was left of the chopper.

It took him a few moments to clear his vision and then fear began to set in. His first thought, his only thought was; Where are Nate and Chase?

We are all haunted by our dreams in some way, be it because when we awake from them-we struggle to discern truth from reality or perhaps we long for the comfort of a place where we feel no real pain-just the comfort of a thought wrapped in a mystery.

These thoughts echoed through my mind for hours after the helicopter crashed. I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had seeped into my bones and covered my body in a thin layer of sweat. I gingerly made my way out of the charred and tangled mess and scanned the surrounding jungle around me. There was a slow dripping sound coming from somewhere over to my left and the hum of insects going about their day engulfed and overwhelmed me. I was in trouble, big deep life threatening trouble and I had no idea where Nate or Chase were.

I took several deep shuddering breaths and felt a dull pain throb just below my right kneecap, I looked down and saw that the material of my trousers was torn and bloodied. I tore off a strip of cotton from my shirt and hastily tied a tourniquet to stem the flow of blood and also because this simple task forced me to focus on something other than the fear threatening to take over. After I had hastily bandaged the wound, which didn't look too bad, I could still walk okay without it being too painful. I heard a rustling coming from behind me; I crouched down low and slowed my breathing.

**Meanwhile back at the base Peyton, Haley & Brooke are setting up for the USO show**

The stage was massive, giant speakers dwarfed the sides and wires lay strewn on the floor-they looked chaotic but upon closer inspection had been elaborately and somewhat carefully taped down and held in place. Only a moron would trip on them or get tangled up in them.

'Peyton, this looks amazing', Brooke was staring around at all her friends hard work and she couldn't help but feel a warm sense of pride well up inside her.

'Thanks, I can't take all the credit though, I had a lot of help and Haley has been running around checking with all the bands and making sure everyone has what they need'. Peyton said all of this with a kind smile in her eyes and an arm slung loosely around her friends shoulder.

'Ladies, I'm going to do a few more sound checks and then sing under the table until it's time for me to go on'. Haley said this with a wobbly smile in place but a look of steely determination reflected in her eyes. This little trick of hers had given her the confidence to face three thousand fans and perform like she didn't know she was always meant to.

Peyton and Brooke hugged their friend and smiled as she scampered off to psych herself up for her first live gig in a long while. Everywhere around them was a hive of steady and organised activity, there were people scurrying to and fro setting up lights, cameras, microphones-it was at once overwhelming and oddly satisfying. The thrill of being in charge of such a mammoth project had Peyton using every skill she had developed over the years when preparing for her shows at Tric.

Brooke was busily flirting her way through a throng of eager and wet behind the ears marines all the while shooting glances to Peyton as if to say "Meh, it's all just harmless flirty-whatever".

Peyton just giggled quietly to herself and shook her head, only Brooke could stand about and flirt with marines and still somehow look like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

Little did they know that in the next five minutes, all this activity, this excitement and hard work would all become meaningless. Peyton was wearing a tank top, a loose skirt and had her hair falling gently onto her shoulders with a broad smile fixed in place.

Brooke had disentangled herself from her admirers and was standing next to Peyton wearing a beautiful midnight blue slip dress-she looked achingly young and full of hope.

Haley was sitting cross-legged underneath the table in her dressing room wearing a Brooke Davis original-a slash of fiery red and black roses were embroidered on the side of the gun-metal grey dress, it looked stunning. Haley had finally managed to compose herself and felt more than ready to rock out. Little did she know her sense of normalcy was about to fly out of the window.

Peyton and Brooke were now making there way over to Haley's dressing room; the two were sharing old jokes and reminiscing about their junior year. The arrived outside of the dressing room and shared a smile before pushing the door open. Haley had moved from the floor and was now standing in the corner looking at a lyric sheet her posture was relaxed but tinged with excitement. The door opening alerted Haley to their presence and a smile crept over her delicate features, she knew those two would come and find her before it was show time.

'Hales, how you feeling now?' Peyton asked with a comforting and loving smile in place.

'Great actually, I was nervous before-but now I'm just excited about singing live again. I have a good feeling about this'.

'You're gonna do great! I know it!' Brooke spoke forcefully and clasped Haley in a comforting and reassuring hug.

'Thanks you guys, ok well I think I'm about ready to go-could you guys give me a minute?' Haley needed just a few moments to focus herself and then she knew she would be fine.

'Sure, we'll be right outside'. Peyton smiled at Haley and then felt her pocket vibrate. 'Guys, it's the Staff Sergeant I gotta take this-it must be something to do with the show'. Peyton quickly walked out and answered her phone.

The air outside had started to cool a bit and the merest whisper of a breeze ghosted across Peyton's arms. The air felt different-as though it could sense a change in the world.

It's that moment between dreams and reality, five little minutes, 300 seconds and your life is changed forever. One minute you are smiling and joking around with your oldest friends and gearing up for a night to remember. Like a bolt of lightning streaking across the night sky the landscape subtly changes for just a moment-and that is all it takes. Your blood runs cold, the smile vanishes from your face and the fear sets in.

The ache builds up in the pit of your stomach and rises until your heart is clenching in pain. The pain is so intense you clutch wildly at the air in front of you. Your body literally collapses in on itself. You are scared, you are terrified-you realise you have no idea what to do or how to feel.

Peyton stood clutching the phone tightly in her hand whilst all the colour had drained from her face. Her eyes were misting over as tears threatened to fall. A hundred thoughts were stampeding through her mind all fighting for prominence.

The words spoken to her over the phone replayed over and over in her mind; 'Miss Sawyer, I'm very sorry to have to tell you this but Lucas's helicopter has been confirmed as missing for over an hour, we have tried to reach them on the radio to no avail. The last signal we received from them pinpointed their location to Vietcong controlled territory (a no fly-zone). The danger of a rescue by chopper is critical-they have surface to air missiles so we can't even do a fly over. At this stage we have no idea if anyone will have survived the crash. For the moment they are listed as MIA'.

'Luke could be dead, Nate could be dead, Chase could be dead'. Peyton couldn't seem to stop these twelve words from repeating themselves over and over in her mind. Brooke in the meanwhile had gone in search of her wayward best friend wondering what could possibly have taken so long on the phone.

Peyton had gotten the call and walked outside figuring it was the Duty Sergeant checking last minute details for the show.

Brooke walked outside and saw a pale and trembling Peyton.

'What's wrong? What's happened? Please talk to me P Sawyer you're scaring me'. Brooke rasped the last words out of her mouth and then stood petrified in front of Peyton-a million thoughts racing through her mind. Brooke knew it had to be something unimaginable for Peyton to look this way (Brooke could only remember one other time when Peyton had looked like this-she was just nine years old).

'It's Luke…Nate…uh and ummm…' Peyton gulped out, 'and Chase'. Peyton had been struggling to breathe properly for the last five minutes, and seeing the look on Brooke's face didn't exactly help. Peyton bit down on her lip and squared her shoulders in a desperate attempt to hold herself together.

'What's Luke, Nate and Chase?' Brooke asked, from the moment Peyton had said those names every fear that she had came barrelling over her in wave after wave. Brooke knew the risks of being a soldier-she just didn't think it would be "her soldiers"-they had been there less than a week.

'Oh God, I can't breathe…I…uh..' Brooke felt light-headed, all the joy and excitement had vanished from her eyes and even before Peyton could utter another word Brooke knew. It was the look of heartache and fear in Peyton's eyes. Brooke looked down and saw Peyton tightly clutching her phone.

Brooke's eyes spilled over with tears and chokingly between sobs she gasped, 'Are they dead Peyton?' Peyton felt a darkness enter her heart at the thought of Lucas no longer being alive-the possibility that the same fate had befallen Nate and Chase was almost too much for her to bear. Peyton pushed aside these thoughts and managed to softly say; 'No, they're missing, the chopper went down in a no-fly zone…they think there's a chance they could have made it-but because of the danger of flying over-they can't order a search and rescue yet'. Peyton swallowed the lump in her throat and pulled Brooke into a tight embrace. Both of them crying silent tears, not yet ready to accept that they may have just lost the most important people in their lives.

Brooke ever the optimist refused to accept that Chase was anything other than alive, hurt yes, but alive nonetheless. For Peyton's and Haley's sake, Brooke prayed to whatever God existed out there that all three would make it home alive.

'They have to be alive, Chase, Luke & Nate wouldn't die without telling me first!' Peyton half chuckled and sobbed at Brooke's logic. Peyton nodded her head against Brooke's shoulder and then stepped back looking into Brooke's eyes-they nodded at the same moment. It was time to tell Haley the terrible news and also to postpone the USO show. After dealing with this harrowing development the Duty Sergeant had already put a stop to the show.

Haley turned around and saw Brooke and Peyton walking hand in hand over to her, she saw Peyton's tear-stained face and the wobbly smile on Brookes and knew something was very wrong.

'Oh God, what is it? What's happened?' Haley knew these two well enough to know that from the look they had on their faces the news was bad.

'Haley-Nate, Chase & Lucas are missing, their chopper was shot down, they are MIA for now-and a search and rescue hasn't been launched yet, but I have an idea of how we can get going on that'. Brooke told Haley and managed to keep the tears at bay, Peyton squeezed her hand in comfort and all three stood in a tight huddle with their arms wrapped around each for support. Not one word was spoken; they were all just breathing in the same air, trying to get a handle on a situation that seemed wholly inconceivable just hours earlier.

**Meanwhile Lucas has managed to stem the flow of blood from his leg wound but he still needs to find Nate and Chase**.

'Nate? Chase?'. Lucas starts shouting both their names very loudly whilst scanning the undergrowth for any signs that they my have landed nearby. After a few minutes of this, Lucas hears something, it sounds like a very weak and faint moan or groan. He keeps calling out and hears the distinct sound of a loud groan. Luke starts running; he comes to an abrupt stop and sees Nate hanging upside down all tangled up in a tree. His leg is bleeding from a gash on his upper thigh and his head has a superficial wound on it. Lucas laughs-not because Nate looks ridiculous but because he is relieved to have found his brother alive and well. Haley won't kill him now for not taking good care of her husband!

'Nate, Nate can you hear me?'. Luke is gently cradling Nate's head.

'Luke?? Are you really there, cos I keep thinking you are and then I'll start talking to you and then you're gone'. Nate's head wound had obviously caused him to have hallucinations-all the blood rushing to his head probably didn't help either.

Lucas got out his bayonet knife and gently cut Nate free. He caught him and placed him slowly and carefully on the ground.

Lucas shook Nate gently and wiped some of the blood from his face with his shirtsleeve, 'Nate have you seen Chase?' Luke asked.

'_No…I uh.. last thing I remember is the trees-there was so much greenery everywhere, and then there was darkness. I remember talking to you though. You said it would all be okay that we would find a way home.' Nathan had a glazed over look in his eyes, and Luke started to get worried, he needed Nate conscious and well. Not all confused and out of it._

'_Nate, I'm gonna wrap something around your thigh to stop the bleeding ok? Then we are going to go and find Chase. We can't stay here; it's not safe ok? I did some quick calculations whilst I was looking for you and I would say that we are deep within the arranged Viet Cong controlled zone-which means we have very little time to find Chase and get the hell out of here. They would have seen us crash from where they were shooting from, we need to be fast'. Luke needed to shock Nathan into complete alertness, he knew that if Nate had a firm grasp as to how serious the situation at hand really was-then maybe just maybe he would start operating on pure adrenalin. _

_Luke's words had the desired effect on Nathan, with a deep sigh from within, Nate stood up slowly and assessed how well he would be able to walk. He noticed that although the cut on his thigh was painful he was still able to walk. _

_The sound of gunfire echoed off in the distance, Luke looked at Nathan and both of them quickly ran into the bushes, taking cover. A few minutes passed during which Luke was very aware of the thumping of his heart and the sweat slowly pouring down his back both out of fear and because it was sweltering. Nathan didn't look much better, he was sweating profusely and whispered; 'Luke that could have been Chase they were firing at, we need to get closer to where the gunfire is and see what's going on'. Luke just nodded silently and then very carefully they made their way closer to where they had heard the guns going off. _

_Through the tangled branches of a low slung tree, they could make out the slumped figure of Chase being dragged away into the jungle. Nate's eyes widened in fear and his breath came out in stops and starts. Luke felt a coldness seep into his bones, things had been bad before-but this was much worse. Tears sprung into his eyes, he quickly swallowed down the fear and hardened himself to what had just transpired. Luke knew that Chase would need both him and Nate to be strong and come up with a plan to save him-or at least go for help. _

'_Luke we need to follow them'. Nate whispered looking into his brother's steady eyes. _

_Luke nodded and together they wandered back to the wreckage of the chopper and grabbed what they would need. _

'_You ready?' Luke asked Nate._

_With a nod of his head the duo set off into the jungle-destination unknown….._

**Back at base camp….**

Brooke stood facing Peyton and Haley, her brow was furrowed in concentration. She started pacing back and forth; the beginnings of a plan were coming together in her mind. It needed some key components but if they agreed then just maybe they would have an answer to the ache in their hearts.

'Peyton, call Derek. Haley call the Staff Sergeant. I have an idea-we're getting them back! Don't ask me any questions just get Derek and the Staff Sergeant. I'll explain everything when they both get here'. Brooke's scheming was legendary, if she had a plan then it would more than likely work-or at least give them a fighting chance.

**Ok, so this is the conclusion of chapter 2. I have lots more in store for you guys. Think rescue missions, the girls and an unlikely but most welcome partner in crime. **


	3. Helicopters, A Dawn Raid & 3 Girls

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Kate & Sheena, your support has been truly appreciated and Kate your idea for some 'jungling' is what got me here with this new chapter. Sheena your ideas were wicked-thanks for the trouble-shooting. I hope you guys and everyone else who reviews enjoy the next instalment. Helicopters, A Dawn Raid & 3 Girls

The hangar lay slumbering low in the distance, from this angle it looked inconspicuous-plain even. But what it contained inside was the first part of the puzzle piece that would be required in order for Brooke's crazy yet brilliant plan to bear fruition.

_**8 hours earlier, the Staff Sergeant and Derek arrive in the Officer's Mess Hall….**_

'Derek, it's so good to see you!' Peyton wrapped her brother in a tight embrace and felt his comforting presence soothe her.

Derek held onto Peyton tightly and then released his hold on her; looking carefully into her eyes he silently asked her if she was okay. A small nod from Peyton gave him the answer he knew she had in her.

Meanwhile Brooke had been busily scanning the room looking for a private place to discuss everything, her eyes lit upon a table tucked away in the corner. A few people were still around chatting and playing cards, but this table was far enough away to afford them the privacy that was needed for what she had to say.

Brooke motioned for everyone to follow her and walked over to the table, once everyone was seated, all eyes turned to Brooke. Peyton's held curiosity, Derek's held mischief mingled with determination and pride. Haley looked tired yet hopeful. The Staff Sergeant looked perplexed but intrigued. Brooke took a deep breath and looked up taking each person in one at a time.

'Ok, I have an idea. I would love it if no one interrupted me. What I have to say is going to be a lot to take in, so I need everyone to just be silent and listen. I will answer any and every question you have for me-but just let me say what I need to say'. Brooke stopped speaking and quickly looked around, they were all nodding their heads.

'Ok, first off we are going to rescue the boys. Derek I need you to call all the best

men you have in your platoon and have them meet us in less than an hour. Staff Sergeant I need you to make sure that Tim is on guard duty outside the Hangar where you keep the Apache Helicopters. Peyton I need you to gather all the comms we are going to need-laptops, GPS, cell phones-whatever you can get your hands on. Haley I need you to organise all the combat fatigues you can-Peyt said you guys have your own set-so getting an extra one shouldn't be a problem.'

Brooke smiled and saw that everyone was staring at her with a mixture of awe and surprise but also assurance.

Peyton was the first to speak,

'I'm way ahead of you B. Davis-I have everything you need from me already packed away in my barracks. I've been busy since you told me to call Derek'.

Brooke just smiled at Peyton and squealed in delight. Haley quickly gathered herself together and said that she too would have no problem getting an extra set of fatigues.

Derek quickly assured everyone that his team would be ready to go at 0100. Since his marine days, he had quickly risen through the ranks and was now a Special Forces Ranger and in charge of his own hand picked platoon. He was a highly decorated soldier, and was known for his bravery and spoken of highly amongst his fellow soldiers. His quick agreement to this somewhat hare-brained scheme-was not such a big surprise. He had gotten closer to Peyton over the last year and had a great deal of respect for Lucas-especially when he heard that Luke and Nate had joined the Army. The three had bonded a lot and had seen Derek whenever he came home from a tour of duty.

The Staff Sergeant had known Luke since he was a little kid-he had been an old friend of his Uncle Keith's. John (Staff Sergeant) had been a reserve in the army since his active duty days and had taken this assignment in Vietnam as a favour to Karen (Luke's mum). She wanted reassurance that someone would be watching over her boy and keeping him out of harm's way. John would do anything in his power to bring the three guys back home safe. He had promised Karen he wouldn't let anything happen to them and he wasn't about to break his word to her.

Meanwhile Nate & Luke are in the deep thick of the jungle desperately tracking Chase and his captors movements through the jungle…..

The air smelt like oranges and wet smoke, it was a pungent overwhelming aroma that permeated the air around them. Luke had taken point on the hunt for Chase and was carefully treading ahead of Nate. His eyes were constantly scanning all around him, looking and seeing little traces of where people had passed by. Nate kept his eyes peeled for any sign of a trap, they moved slowly out of necessity and because the area they were in was heavily booby-trapped. They had found several trip wires already, setting one of these off would be a deadly mistake.

Despite all the fear and uncertainty regarding their predicament, a sense of purpose had settled over the both of them-causing them to focus in on the task at hand. Luke and Nate without telling anyone had joined the Army cadets in their senior year of high school. They had volunteered to go to Vietnam as soon as their training was complete. They had both excelled as cadets, each in different ways. Luke was the forward thinker and planner and Nate was the quiet voice of reassurance, knowing what to say and do even if at first he reacted badly. He usually followed this up with a better plan of action in mind and could always be relied on to come through. His and Luke's dedication to the Army was simple, they both felt immensely patriotic and wanted to help others they considered less fortunate than themselves. Luke had a need to save everyone, so for him-being in the Army fulfilled this need.

The atmosphere was tense; the trees closed in around them and shrouded the trudging footsteps of the men who held onto Chase's unconscious body. AK-47's were casually slung over their shoulders and cigarettes dangled carelessly from the corners of their mouths. They knew exactly where they were headed and purposefully pressed ahead. They called orders in hushed voices, using hand signals occasionally so as to not call attention to themselves.

The leader of this rag tag crew motioned for silence as they heard what sounded like the far off sound of a plane flying over. The low drone of a plane could be heard in the distance and all eyes face upward as they saw a drone pass overhead. It was high enough in the sky for it to be safe from their RPG's but not close enough to see the Vietcong crouched beneath the tree line. They were well covered and knew they had outsmarted the occupying Army. With a grin and a newly lit cigarette, Ban Toh-the Leader, nodded to the rest of his men and pressed on ever deeper into the jungle. He marched them for the next three hours into a part of the jungle that didn't exist on any map and was their secret barracks. It was tucked into a large hillside and completely covered with trees, they had dug tunnels and had the main houses constructed underneath the ground. All telecommunications was conducted in a series of 6 interconnected rooms. The satellite was cleverly disguised as a tree leaf-so when viewed from the sky it blended seamlessly into the landscape. The main living area was comprised of small huts with hammocks strung up in the corner of them. The prisoner area was located in the far left hand corner of the camp, and was a series of bamboo cages-sunk into the ground. They were deep and had steep walls making escape unlikely and very difficult.

Chase started to groan and slowly opened his eyes as he took in his new surroundings. He was in a large hole; two other men were sleeping curled up in two of the four corners. He began to panic, where the hell was he, who were these two-and what had happened to Nate and Luke?

**Back at base camp, Peyton, Haley and Brooke have gathered everyone together**

Brooke, Peyton and Haley were fully kitted out in combat fatigues and back packs slung across their backs. Derek had assembled his team of four men, they were the best out of the platoon and each had their own unique area of expertise.

John had put "Dim" as Brooke referred to him on guard duty outside the hangar. He was slumped over in his seat taking a nap. Derek approached Tim's sleeping form cautiously and silently-he quickly knocked him unconscious with a barely perceptible hand movement.

Derek hand signalled to his men at which point they ran over-picked up Tim and deposited him in the back of the hangar on the floor inside a small office. They locked it from the outside and then motioned for everyone else to come on over. The girls jogged over to where the guys were standing, they quickly threw their packs into the Apache Helicopter and climbed aboard. Derek and his men were quick to follow, and last but not least John came on board. The whirr of the rotor blades could be heard inside the hangar; a mechanized slot in the roof had slid open whilst everyone was getting strapped in. It was fully open now and with a swoosh and buzz, the Apache lifted up from the ground and slowly ascended upwards through the slot in the roof. John pressed another button on the remote he was holding and the hatch closed again.

A tense silence filled the cabin of the helicopter. Brooke sat facing forwards, a sketchpad opened up on her knees and she was busily scribbling down notes. Peyton's face was set in determination and a steely look had clouded her eyes, her laptop was perched atop her knees and she was busy working on getting the GPS set up. Haley sat silently thinking over the day's events, her stomach was doing flip-flops with every passing second spent in the air. She felt scared, exhilarated and had an insane urge to giggle at nothing and everything (a little bit like wanting to laugh at a funeral but knowing how wholly inappropriate that would be). John was busy talking to Derek about the logistics of landing somewhere safe outside of the Vietcong controlled area and close enough to where the last signal from the downed helicopter had been sent. Derek's motley crew of four went by the name of 'Slingshot'-they earned this name by being able to take out even the most unlikely of targets with whatever weapons they had to hand. They could shoot the wingtips of a fly from 300 yards and as such were irreplaceable team members.

Billy, Andre, Jack and Johnny were all natives of the South Carolinas and spoke with a Southern twang that was both endearing and belied their true abilities. They were to put simply the best you could find.

Billy was sniper trained and could move invisibly through any landscape picking off his targets with ease and grace.

Andre was the logistics man and co-ordinated the missions, he made sure everyone knew exactly where they were headed and kept a cool head under pressure.

Jack and Johnny were brothers and joined the Marines with Derek, they were the linguistic side-they spoke fluent Vietnamese and a handful of other languages between them. Their father had married a Vietnamese woman on his own tour of peacekeeping duty in Nam and this accounted for the two brothers being able to converse in their mother tongue. It didn't hurt that they looked like the locals but spoke like true Southern boys. They had become invaluable resources in conversing with the native Vietnamese people and gathered a lot of important Intel on the Vietcong's movements. Derek felt confident that with this team in place and with the help of the girls this mission could and would be successful despite the inherent danger.

The Apache swooped low over the tree line and the pilot began scouring the area for a suitable place to land. Another ten minutes was devoted to this task until he found what he had been looking for. He spoke through his mic and told everyone to put everything away and get ready for a landing. In the space of 30 seconds everything was packed securely away and everyone was staring straight ahead-their faces set in determination for what lay ahead.

**Ban-Toh's Prisoner camp, population 20. Prisoners 8. Guards 12. **

Chase stood up and scanned his new home quickly; the walls were very steep and smoothed down. He wouldn't be able to escape climbing out, but maybe he could break free if they allowed them up above to have exercise and meals. Chase could only hope and pray at this point. He started to panic a little more, where were Nate and Luke? Had they been killed when the helicopter crashed? Or were they captured as well and being held somewhere? He didn't want to fall apart so he focused on something else, Brookes smiling face came immediately to mind, he held onto the way her hair hung just in front of her face, and the look in her eyes as she leaned forward to lightly kiss him. These memories were vivid for Chase and helped to ease the terrible panic he felt.

Ban Toh and his men, sat underneath the shade of a large tree and played cards, some of the men were cleaning their guns, oiling the barrels and polishing the handles. There was a low but consistent hum of organised activity. They were allowed a few hours off each day to blow off steam or go and see their families. This was made possible by the 'phone tree network'-it got this unlikely of names due to the wandering and whispering of the recipients and the messengers. One man would send word down the wire from one person to another; it was the fastest way to get word to family members and came in handy for the VC spies when they had good Intel on the invading army.

The camp was not very big, but it was well hidden and could not be detected from the sky, it was also an important communications outpost, HQ had praised Ban-Toh for his accurate and useful intelligence. They had already destroyed numerous planes and helicopters with weapons they had stolen from the American base. The irony was not lost on the American soldiers, they knew they had a mole somewhere well placed within the Army but as yet had no confirmed candidates.

Chase could hear the occasional pip of a gun barrel being disengaged followed by a conversation in Vietnamese-he couldn't understand what they were saying but he felt less terrified hearing them converse in what sounded like casual conversation.

Little did Chase know that all his panic and fear of when he first arrived had been dead on correct, the two men in the hole with Chase had been tortured slowly and for months on end. Ban Toh was a cruel and clever man and used his prisoners to acquire what he needed. Catching Chase was quite a coup for him, he knew this one would yield invaluable Intel-and may even help destroy that base camp once and for all-but not before they had time to steal the weaponry and lay siege to the occupying Army. The Tet Offensive had been psychologically a highly successful operation-what they needed now was a show of just how superior they really were in terms of crushing their enemy and disappearing without a trace into the jungle.

A/N 1.

­The Tet Offensive stunned the American Army and the Republic of Vietnam Army-due to it's highly co-ordinated and fairly well executed offence. Basically the Vietcong instead of honouring a two-day ceasefire-due to a National Holiday known as 'Tet', decided to launch an attack on more than 100 cities and towns. 80,000 Vietcong troops took part in this and although they were not successful in overwhelming the Americans-they showed everyone that they were more than just simple jungle rats. They could launch a highly complex attack and catch everyone off guard. The Tet offensive stunned the American Government and forced them to take the enemy more seriously, they had been led to believe that the Vietcong did not have the means or military know how to pull this kind of attack off-they were sorely mistaken.

**Sneak Peak of Chap. 4**

**Meanwhile…. 'Everyone take cover'.**

Brooke, Peyton and Haley-stand side-by-side clutching guns and peering into the jungle. All sets of eyes are widened in terror as the pressing seriousness of the situation begins to manifest itself.

**A/N: Ok, so this is the end of Ch.3, we have seen Peyton, Haley, Brooke and Derek launch a dangerous rescue mission. Nate and Luke have been spotted hot on the trail of Chase's captors and you have caught a glimpse of Ban Toh the leader of the Vietcong unit placed in the jungle. **

**I will be posting a Glossary that will explain military terms and make people less confused when I simply use generic but common terms for military words.**

**If you guys have any questions regarding the events occurring in Vietnam-don't hesitate to ask. Although I have altered the timeline to 2007-I will still refer to events that occurred during the conflict. The Tet Offensive occurred in 1968 and lasted nine months. Many considered it a turning point in the war. It brought home to the many fighting soldiers that the enemy had been vastly underestimated. **

**OK. That's all for now. Hope you guys like this latest chapter. If not, I have no problem with criticism-it pushes me to work harder. So have at it. Reviews are love. Leave a token on your appreciation.**


	4. Chapter 4, Ground Zero

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the show or it's characters. I wanna thank everyone who took the time to read and review. The support for this story has been wonderful. Sheena and Kate you guys have been invaluable. So I'm gonna dedicate this new chapter to you both! To everyone else-I hope you like the next instalment. Don't forget to review!

Ground Zero, Settling in For The Night & First Contact

**Meanwhile…. 'Everyone take cover'.**

Brooke, Peyton and Haley-stand side-by-side clutching guns and peering into the jungle. All sets of eyes are widened in terror as the pressing seriousness of the situation begins to manifest itself.

Derek stood to the side chuckling to himself, Peyton had ducked and landed in some nearby bushes, Haley had jumped on top of Peyton and Brooke just stood there frozen to the spot. Her mouth was set in a thin line and her eyes were glazed over-she looked beyond terrified. Derek was laughing because all three had reacted in completely different ways, the noise they had heard was the Apache swooping low and circling back around, it had winked it's lights at the group on the ground and then it was gone into the night sky. Destination base camp.

'What the hell Derek?' Brooke was the first to recover and she turned to him, one hand on her hip and the other clutching her rifle.

'Derek, I could kill you for scaring me like that!' Peyton had carefully shifted Haley off her and was the next to stand, her expression was pissed off, but it was difficult to take her seriously with bits of leaf and twigs caught in her curls. To say she looked comical would be an understatement.

Derek just shook his head and laughed, pretty soon the tension that had settled over the group began to ease. Haley stood next to Peyton picking out the undergrowth from her hair and laughing softly to herself. Brooke just sighed dramatically and laughed too, they all knew how dangerous the mission was, but at the same time it was good just to hear everyone share a giggle or two.

Derek gathered everyone together and in a few whispered words instructed everyone on what was going to happen.

Derek, Jack and Johnny flanked Peyton, Brooke and Haley. They edged further and further into the jungle. Brooke was for once at a loss for words and instead let her mind drift to what lay ahead, in her minds eye she saw Chase. He was winking at her and dressed casually, he had a huge smile on his face and the love he held for Brooke could be seen beaming out at her. It was as though Brooke was imagining a future moment when all the danger and life threatening moments had come to pass. It was hope-in it's purest form, it's one thing to believe in someone and something it's another thing altogether to picture a time ahead where things are relatively normal. Brooke held onto this possible future and trudged on ever deeper into VC (Vietcong) territory.

Peyton looked all around her, she took note of the low hanging vine branches, and the smell of oranges wafting under her nose as she walked and she became lost in a memory. It was the day before they left for Vietnam; Luke had taken her on a picnic into the woods just beyond the River bend. They had walked for an hour or so and found the perfect spot, it was in a small clearing with a breath-taking view of the river, the sun had shimmered off the water and bathed everything in a brilliant white glow. Peyton had closed her eyes and leant into Luke's chest and drunk in the atmosphere. They had sat like that for a few hours just quietly talking about the uncertain future and what they envisaged for themselves. They had been so happy that day; they were looking forward to their future together. Peyton sighed deeply within and was brought sharply back to the current predicament, she didn't even know if Luke was ok, if he was hurt or scared or all of those things.

Peyton forced herself to not get too caught up in the fear and uncertainty; those kinds of ruminations only led her heart to feel even heavier. She pasted a neutral look on to her face and started to focus on how they were going to locate the boys. She knew Derek had a plan of sorts in mind, but she also wanted to add a few of own to the mix.

Haley and Peyton had unbeknownst to Brooke signed up as Reserves in the Army, the first week they had been there had involved 'Basic Training'. It wasn't remotely how they had pictured it.

Flashback….Basic Training-Haley and Peyton

'_Tell me again why we agreed to sign up for Basic Training Hales. Don't get me wrong I am all for supporting our boys and everyone back home-but this target I'm trying to hit keeps moving to the left'. Peyton stood feet slightly apart, with a rifle nestled in her right shoulder, her eyes were fixed in concentration and beads of sweat were forming at the back of her neck and slipping down her shoulder blades. She was not only uncomfortable and sweating heavily, she was also feeling severely out of her depth._

_Haley looks at Peyton and giggles._

'_Peyt, it's supposed to move; it's to help us gain the ability to hit moving targets._

_Peyton looks across at Haley's smiling face and groans loudly; 'I thought we were still practicing the static shot ones-Damn'. Part of the training was to get everyone familiarised with their guns and then teach them the basics of hitting moving and still targets. Peyton had been concentrating so completely on static shots-she had failed to notice the instructor had already changed to moving targets. Haley being the straight-A student and all around quick study had noticed the change right away, due to her own concentration she hadn't noticed Peyton's lagging behind. She continued laughing at her until Peyton rolled her eyes and nudged her playfully on the shoulder._

'_Thanks for the heads up Hales! _

'_What, I was busy concentrating on setting up my own shots, Sorry!' Peyton just shook her head and smiled at her friend. It wasn't a big deal, in fact it was quite amusing-it indicated that unfortunately Peyton was not a natural, but she had the potential to develop into a decent shot. She subsequently nailed down all her targets over the course of the week and Haley had also been on the same level with Peyton. It appeared that when adversity was thrown their way-somehow those two found their feet and a way to get the better of it. Those two were tough, smart, independent and most importantly quick learners. _

_Basic Training for Rifles and Targets came to an end. Both had passed Level 1 with impressive scores and were feeling pretty proud of themselves. _

End Flashback…

Luke and Nate had navigated there way cautiously and slowly through the myriad of trees, booby traps and endless miles of scenery that on any other occasion would have been great to enjoy. Luke's expressions alternated between concern, fear and finally resided on courageous. He squinted his eyes every few minutes and turned to Nate signalling for him to crouch down. Guns poised, Luke pressed his binoculars to his eyes and stared at something off into the distance. He could see a pyramid shaped hat bobbing its way amongst the trees; they had finally seen their first Vietnamese civilian. This could only mean one thing, they were now moving ever closer to a village, and if a village was nearby then so to was the camp where Chase was being held.

Nate nudged Luke on the shoulder and quietly asked him what was going on.

'I see a villager, a woman, she's walking our way about 3 clicks south of where we are'. Luke replied in a low whisper. Nate put his own set of binoculars to his eyes and watched as the woman carefully picked her way through the trees. He studied her for a few more seconds and then they had a hurried and short conversation. They would need to approach her cautiously, they didn't want to alarm her or chase her off. If they could somehow sound her out and get an idea of whom she was, perhaps they could persuade her to help them.

Luke stood up slowly and quietly, Nate followed suit and they began to shadow the woman. She had her head down and appeared to be concentrating on the ground in front of her. Nate and Luke stepped out in front of her; they had slung their rifles over their shoulders and opened their hands in a gesture of peace and welcome.

Luke spoke first and said; 'Chau co' they had been taught some basic Vietnamese as part of their training. As she was a fairly young woman Luke greeted her in the correct term.

She looked up and into Luke's face and he could see a smile behind her eyes, her lips were trembling a little, but she managed to quietly speak 'Chao anh' back to Luke. He then asked her if she spoke English, a slight nod of the head from her and Luke grinned at her. Nate stood quietly next to Luke not saying a word, he could tell from her body language that she was skittish and any sudden movement from them could cause her to tear off into the jungle. Luke asked her what her name was, in a quiet voice she replied, 'Phuong Ha'ng'.

Her name meant Phoenix and Angel in the Full Moon; the fact that she had two Christian names meant her father was a tribal leader of some kind. Luke had taken a crash course in Vietnamese history and familiarised himself with local customs, language and the basics of their culture. He knew he would be performing recon missions with Nate and to arm himself with this knowledge could only be an advantage. He had never felt so glad of his choices until that moment standing in the middle of a jungle with a young Vietnamese woman who he could tell was beginning to look a little less frightened.

He asked her if her village was nearby, she told him that it was a few hours in the direction they had been walking in. Nate felt a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth; an idea had started to percolate in his mind. He nudged Luke with his shoulder and whispered lowly in his ear; 'we need to convince this woman to take us to her village, she may know where Chase has been taken'. Luke nodded his head and turned to face Phoung. He asked her if she could take them to her village, she inclined her head and motioned for them to follow her.

Luke asked her if she had seen any other soldiers whilst she had been walking in the jungle. Phoung, now feeling at ease with Nate and Luke told them she had been out by the river for most of the day and hadn't seen anyone. Luke continued to ask her simple questions, like how old she was, did she have any siblings-he was trying his best to make her feel at ease. He knew that she could be leading them into a trap, but he had a feeling about her-some instinct within told him that she could be trusted. He had seen it when she had looked him straight in the eyes and greeted him. The unlikely trio, walked single file ever deeper into the jungle. Luke kept up a light flow of conversation and Nate soon joined in. Over the course of a few hours all three of them were chatting away in quiet voices about the conflict and what it had meant for each of them. Phoung told them her family were opposed to the VC and supported South Vietnam. She also revealed that her cousins had been taken away and made into soldiers by the VC, this had been the turning point for her family. Before this terrible event, they had simply stayed on the sidelines and continued on with their simple lives not wanting to get involved with the conflict.

Luke told her he was sorry to hear about what happened to her family and he gingerly placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she silently wept about her 'lost cousins'.

Nate mirrored Luke's gesture and Phoung whimpered quietly for a few more seconds before turning to look at them both. She merely nodded her head and quietly thanked them. They started walking again, Phoung lithely picked her way knowledgably over the crest and rises of the jungle floor and held her hand up when she had spotted trip wires, Luke and Nate couldn't believe their luck in finding this woman, she was risking her life to help them and she was keeping them safe. Nate grinned and told Luke that he certainly had his charms-Phoung had been so obliging already, telling them a little of her family history. Luke was just doing what he thought was right, he had no plan in his mind to harm these people-all he wanted for them was a resolution to this terrible war. He also felt an obligation to his country and the freedoms it granted them-Luke figured they deserved to live their lives free from war just like everyone back home. If Luke could, in some small way help these people achieve that then this war would not be for nothing.

Nate although joining in the conversation from time to time, couldn't help but be pulled into memories of him and Haley. It happened when they stopped to comfort Phoung, the look of tearful thanks had made him envisage Haley. She had looked this way just the other night when they had stayed up late and gone for a walk around the base. Haley had been quiet that night and had seemed a little on edge. Her sudden bursting into tears had Nate quickly wrapping her in a tight yet comforting hug and murmuring into her hair that everything would be ok, whatever it was that had her upset as long as they were together they would face it together. This had caused Haley to cry even harder, Nate just pulled her a little closer and whispered quietly into her ear how much he loved her. Haley had pulled back from him and smiled deep into his eyes before gently pressing her lips against his own. Nate hadn't found out what had been bothering Hales, but they did end up having a pretty heated and passionate kiss pressed up against a tree that quickly led to both of them laying down in the grass. They were interrupted by a whirr of rotors overhead and had seen a helicopter come in for a landing about 150 metres to the right of where they had been laying. Haley just shrugged her shoulders and giggled, Nate had shaken his head and offered her his hand. She tucked her hand into his and the two of them had walked back to the barracks talking in low voices of the upcoming USO show. Haley had confided in Nate her fears of performing live again after such a long time. He had been quick to reassure her, saying that she would be nothing short of amazing-he had then told her how proud he was of her and everything she had achieved. Haley just kissed him again and told him that if it hadn't been for him she wouldn't have had the courage to pursue her dreams. He nonchalantly shook his head and told her that it was all her own doing; he was just the lucky guy who got to share it with her.

Nate rubbed his eyes and shook his head attempting to clear the memories from his mind. Seeing Haley splintered through his mind's eye in a happy and wonderful moment had given him a respite from the underlying fear but he needed to be focused and ready for anything. He quickly regained his sense of purpose and focus and softly called out to Luke if he knew how much further they had to travel. Phoung told them it was a little while longer till they reached the outskirts of their little village. Nate smiled at her and the three continued on in a comfortable silence. The low buzz of insects and the ever-present hum of cicadas echoed all around them, it was a pleasant sound and seemed at odds with everything else that was going on. Even in war, nature continued on at its own pace, seemingly undisturbed by man's need for power, land and dominance.

Chase slowly opened his eyes and took in his new home. He cautiously walked over to the guy closest to him and lightly shook his shoulder. Eric slowly opened his eyes and took in the sight of Chase, relieve washed over him.

Eric's lips were cracked and dry, exposure to the sun and not enough water had caused this, his hair was matted and hung limply down his face. His relief at seeing Chase was due to the fact that he may now get a respite from the cruel hand of Ban Toh. Eric and Tommy had been tortured daily and then carelessly slung back into their prison. They had been in this camp for a few months now-hope of escaping had quickly dwindled with each passing day.

The first day they had been there-had been the worst; they were tied to trees for a whole day. The sun had beat down and made everything shimmery, the lack of water and food had caused both of them to hallucinate. Eric had seen pixies dancing in front of him playing a soft tune. Tommy had simply passed out after the first 3 hours; he simply didn't have the stamina or presence of mind to withstand the torture. Eric had been captured before-so knew what to expect, it didn't make it any less frightening-but it did give him the strength within to hold out as long as he could. Ban Toh had repeated this about once a week, he broke Eric in the second month and Eric had given them information on base camp. The guilt he felt for letting down his friends and fellow shoulders had been a heavy burden to bear. He had almost stopped caring after a while-since he figured that maybe everyone would understand that he hadn't betrayed his country-he just needed to survive. The moment he clapped eyes on Chase, a small kernel of hope started to sprout in the pit of his stomach. Eric had been so badly broken that he thought they had beat that out of him too, so it was a relief to know that not everything could be taken from him. They could beat him; force him to tell them what he knew-but they could never take away his hope.

He felt tears prick the corners of his eyes and he shifted himself over so that his back was leaning against the wall. He opened his mouth to speak and in a low voice said, 'Hi'.

Chase felt a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth and he said hi back.

A/N: Ok, so this is the end of Chapter 4, The Girls and their motley crew are now in the jungle. Chase has been acquainted with his surroundings and just met one of the other prisoners Eric. Luke and Nate are with the help of Phoung on their way to her village.

**Many dangers still lie ahead.**


	5. Night time, A Small Village,A MotleyCrew

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the show or it's characters. I wanna thank everyone who took the time to read and review.

**Night Time, A Small Village-A Motley Crew**

_Previously…._

He felt tears prick the corners of his eyes and he shifted himself over so that his back was leaning against the wall. He opened his mouth to speak and in a low voice said, 'Hi'.

_Chase felt a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth and he said hi back._

Luke and Nate meanwhile were edging closer to Phoung's village, the dense jungle had begun to open up, and they could see sky where trees had covered overhead. Phoung whispered quietly that they had about half an hour till they reached the village. Luke and Nate grinned at their newest friend and continued on at the same pace.

Peyton, Haley and Brooke felt as though they had been walking for days on end, it was endless miles of trees and bushes clumped together. Every now and again they were told to crouch down and take cover, as Billy would spot something off into the distance. Coupled with the underlying fear that time was running out and their own safety was continually showcased, the girls began to fray a little. It started out harmlessly enough; Brooke stumbled over a tree root and landed face down in a pile of slippery wet mud. Peyton's reaction was to giggle, which then caused Haley to start as well, the guys just looked on and shook their heads with mirth. Brooke slowly stood up and gently wiped her face with her sleeve. She glared at everyone, all the while cursing loudly and complaining about the lack of help. Haley tossed Brooke a water bottle and she used it to get the rest of the mud off her face, hands and arms.

Peyton motioned for Derek to join her and quietly told him that they needed to find a safe spot to set up camp for the night. After Brooke had fallen and was covered in mud, the girls had started to bicker at one another, it was little things at first, until finally Haley had thrown her hands up in the air and grunted in frustration. Brooke had been driving her nuts, by clutching Haley's backpack every time she stumbled. The last grab by Brooke had sent all three of them tumbling into the undergrowth for a second time in less than twenty-four hours. Brooke apologised to everyone, but it quickly became clear just how tired they all were.

Peyton and Derek found a secluded little area to the left of where the three had fallen; it was covered on all sides by a clump of trees. They couldn't be spotted unless someone looked really closely. Peyton was the first to take out the canvas netting they all had stowed in their backpacks. She quickly slung two of the corners into the branches and tied them off in a knot that would hold for the night. Everyone else quickly followed suit. The boys had put their canvas netting up to the left of the girls and created a separate space for themselves-allowing privacy whilst still maintaining proximity should something happen.

Peyton unrolled her sleeping back and placed it in the middle of the small space, Brooke and Haley each took a side. The guys agreed that they would handle guard duty all night and let the girls get some rest. Peyton thought about protesting saying that she could handle some guard duty, but she thought better of this when it quickly became clear how experienced Jack, Johnny, Billy and Andre were at this kind of thing. They had all being doing this for years. Jack, Johnny and Derek took the first shift and were positioned at the entrance to their makeshift camp; they had set up security wires to alert them to any intruders. It was fairly rudimentary security, which consisted of a wire tied between four trees that ran into the camp, if anyone tripped over it-the snapping of the tree branches would alert them.

**Meanwhile Luke and Nate arrive at Phoung's village**

They had arrived not long after the sun had dipped low beneath the horizon and covered everything in a heady mix of purples, blues and oranges. If they had merely being visiting this country and no war was being conducted, the views alone would have been breath taking. To be able to sit and watch them without fear of being shot or blown up, these were all promises of a reality that just wasn't quite there yet. Nate felt a sense of calm upon entering the village, as though the eye of the storm had settled here, whilst everywhere else became torn apart just beyond the perimeter. Phoung's family had managed to stay well hidden and kept out of the VC's way, as long as they provided food and supplies every month-they were guaranteed a small measure of security. Ban Toh knew the value of keeping villages productive but under the threat of attack should they choose to not comply with his demands. A prisoner camp like Ban Toh's relied entirely upon fluid and steady supplies of essentials-to achieve this goal, they formed symbiotic relationships with the small villages scattered throughout the jungle. Some of these villages whole-heartedly supported the VC effort, others like Phoung's family opposed the VC but gave them food supplies to prevent them from taking anymore of their people.

Phoung held up in her hand in a silent command to stop, Nate and Luke paused and waited as she lithely picked her way through the trees and they could just make out a small flame flickering over a camp fire. Moments later Phoung had returned-standing next to her was a tall, tightly muscled man of about mid to late 40's. Phoung introduced him as her father 'Tran Anh'. His English was flawless and it was later explained that he had studied abroad after securing an academic scholarship. He had returned to his village to help his people and set about updating the rural landscape. His specialty was engineering and he had built a lot of irrigation ditches and water mills, all these components when brought together allowed for a very well maintained village and one that could be self-sufficient. It would not need to rely on the government to build its way into the 21st century. Tran Anh was a very well liked figure in the community, so for many when his nephews were taken it was considered a sign of grave disrespect. Tran was informed that if they were to retaliate against the VC for the taking of the cousins-every single woman and child would be taken by force and placed in camps, all the young men would be conscripted without any hesitation. Ban Toh used this threat often and had carried it out to illustrate just how serious he was-Tran Anh loathed Ban Toh but did not want to subject his people to more misery. It was the sacrifice of a few to save the many, this kind of decision often fell to a leader-and although it was heart-breaking to choose-Tran had done so-hoping in the back of his mind that one day he would have his vengeance and see the safe return of his nephews.

'Hello, my name is Tran-and I am Phoung's father and the head of the village'. Luke gently clasped one of his Tran's hands between his two and looked him right in the eyes,

'Hello, my name is Lucas and this is my brother Nathan-your daughter was kind enough to help us'.

Tran nodded his head and told the two that he would also extend his hand to help them in any way he could. Luke explained that they were looking for a friend of theirs Chase; he had been on the helicopter with them when it was shot down. They had seen him being dragged away into the bushes by a small band of VC soldiers. Tran inclined his head and beckoned for the boys to follow him.

Tran held court at the fireside, a pot was bubbling away on the stove-the smell of spices and herbs kept wafting into the air. Nate's mouth had been watering for the last ten minutes and his stomach had just started growling, Tran looked over at his two newest acquaintances and chuckled. Luke had been stealing glances at the pot and Nate had been looking every which way except at the food. Tran produced some bowls and spoons and with a ladle placed a generous helping of food in each. Luke and Nate had been rationing their food on account of making their supplies last as long as they could. Seeing this veritable feast spread before them they both fell on it ravenously.

Tran, Nate, Luke and Phoung talked for a few hours by the fireside. They all learned a great deal that night; Luke and Nate felt more confident that they had picked the right option of seeking out Chase's captors rather than return to base and risk being caught on the way. They way they both saw it; they would rather go down fighting than be captured, neither of them could leave a man behind. It was the unwritten marine code of honour.

_**Casa Peyton, Brooke & Haley-it's the dead of night….**_

Peyton is dead to the world, Haley is laying just to the side of her an uneasy expression creases her face as she slumbers. Brooke is another story all together; she wakes up squealing and rushing around in the small space that the canvas covering has afforded them. Peyton sits bolt up right, her heart is pounding loudly in her chest, all her nerve endings are on high alert, she spots a slightly hysterical Brooke rubbing her hands down her legs and the whites of her eyes can be clearly seen.

'Brooke, shut the hell up!' Peyton said in a furious whisper.

'Hey I'm all for the Jungle Girl thing but something slimy and fluttery just crawled up my leg P sawyer. It was gross. I'm sorry I yelped and bleugh it gives me shivers just thinking about what it could have been'. Brooke had calmed down a little but her face was scrunched in disgust and tinged with fear.

'Brooke-honey I love you, but you have got to keep it together, you were screaming the place down. Another outburst like that when we get closer to the prison camp and we'll all be caught. Trust me on this, being a prisoner will be infinitely worse than having something gross climbing all over you. Come lay down next to me and get some rest'.

Peyton had gently grabbed Brooke's arm at this point and guided her down to the makeshift bed, she pulled her close and wrapped a comforting arm around her. Brooke smiled at Peyton and hugged her close, silently thanking her.

Haley had remained dead to the world whilst all the Brooke/Peyton commotion had been going on, Peyton had looked across at her friend and felt something niggling her at the back of her mind. There was something a little off about Haley, they were all really scared and the situation they were in was dangerous and potentially deadly-but it was something else. Peyton felt sleep slowly overtake her, she would talk to Haley tomorrow and find out what was bothering her.

'Derek, the perimeter is secure, just a few animals here and there. Jack just got back from doing a perimeter search and gave the all clear. We can hand over guard duty to John, Billy and Andre'. Johnny had shouldered his rifle and walked over to Derek, they conferred in low voices as they rejoined the others back at the camp.

John, Billy and Andre basically repeated everything the others had done, the perimeter was still secure-it looked like they had picked a good spot to lay low in. The rest of the night continued in this manner, a few creatures crawled about during the evening and their eyes could be seen glowing through the underbrush. Andre started giving them names whilst keeping a vigilant eye on every, and any sound that he picked up. His ritual of role playing-kept his mind sharply focused, naming the animal's pinpointed parts of the perimeter out-it was like a four point security net. Tango, Alfa, Janie and Bambi were the four quadrants of their camp, they were also the names of a bird, a lizard, a grass snake and a moth. These four had been individually at those four points; it was a silly game-but no one had ever sneaked up on Andre so he kept doing it this way.

**Phoung's village…**

Nate and Luke had enjoyed their simple meal and thanked both Tran and Phoung for their hospitality and generosity. Tran shrugged off the thanks and directed them both to their sleeping quarters. Tucked into a small corner were two hammocks, they were sheltered from rain by the low hanging branches and the bashas set up in place just above the hammocks. They said goodnight and climbed into the hammocks, Nate and Luke had already placed their backpacks and rifles within easy reach-they hung on some branches a few feet away.

Nate and Luke were both mentally and physically exhausted from the entire day, Phoung had been kind enough to dress both Nate and Luke's wounds with the medical supplies they had squirreled away from the VC. The wounds were now clean and sterile; they would heal nicely and leave little or no scarring. Luke's eyes began to flutter closed and he mumbled a quick goodnight to Nate. Moments later they were both sound asleep.

Luke dreamt of Peyton that night, all he could see was her face, her loving smile fixed firmly in place. He felt an ache in his chest, he longed to hold her and kiss her and take her somewhere private and just have her all to himself. It had been less than 48 hours but it already felt like a lifetime to him, he didn't really understand the true meaning of love until Peyton. Sure he had loved Brooke and she had been great, but she wasn't his great love, that place had always been reserved for the curly-haired blonde. He wondered if she was scared, or if she was going out of her mind with worry-the same worry he had felt when he found her bleeding inside the library that day. He hoped that she had found some comfort in having Haley by her side-that maybe the two of them were supporting one another in their time of greatest need. He knew Brooke would cheer everyone up and keep up a brave front-it was in her nature. Luke's dreams were vivid and emotional; the fear of the past few hours unfurled itself in his subconscious. He awoke in the early hours of the morning in a cold sweat, and a deeply unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something felt wrong, very wrong. He looked over at Nate and saw the same panic and fear reflected back at him.

_**Ban Toh's Prisoner camp, early evening…**_

Chase and Eric had been talking in low voices for a few hours now-whilst Tommy lay fitfully sleeping in the corner.

Chase had told Eric where he was from and what had caused his capture, he also told him that his friends would come looking for him-that it was in their natures to never give up on a person no matter how dire the situation might be. Eric had been sceptical at first-thinking that Chase sounded a lot like himself when he had first been taken, he slowly changed his mind after hearing all the incredible tales of Nate and Luke's triumphs over adversity.

Chase was just coming to the end of the school-shooting saga when they both heard the click of a rifle barrel being slid into place. Eric's eyes widened in terror and his body constricted in on itself. Chase breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, he needed to regulate his breathing in order to maintain a modicum of calm. A VC soldier loomed overhead, his gun was pointing directly at Chase's head-he motioned for him to grab onto the rope that was being dangled in front of him from the other VC guard. Chase clasped the rope between his hands and felt himself jerked out of the hole. He reached the top and was quickly pushed face first into the dirt. His hands were roughly tied behind his back and he was dragged off into the distance.

Ban Toh ascended the roughly hewn stairs and looked up, he climbed out of the communications room and softly closed the hatch door. The hatch was disguised with branches leaves and odds and ends, it looked like another part of the jungle floor and was indistinguishable if viewed from the air or ground. All the entryways and exits were cleverly disguised this way and so far none of them had ever been discovered.

Ban Toh watched as his men took turns at cocking a gun and pistol-whipping Chase, his nose looked broken and a cut had opened above his left eye, blood slowly trickled down his face. Ban Toh approached his men and barked a series of orders out in quick succession. Chase hung his head limply and felt the pain from his mangled face manifest itself-he didn't know what terrified him more-the thought of more to come or the cruel hand of Ban Toh and his ruthless methods used to extract information. Eric had lost a few toenails whilst resisting questions put to him about base camp. He had finally relented when he could no longer take the excruciating pain this type of injury inflicted.

Chase looked up and saw the middle-aged commander forcefully approach him, from this angle he looked harmless enough, but if you looked closely you would see the dead look in his eyes and just the merest hint of an all encompassing fiery desire to banish the intruders from his homeland. Ban Toh loathed the Americans and what he considered the weak and pathetic Southern Vietnamese, as far as he was concerned they were traitors. His hate knew no limits and had flourished over the last couple of years; this was due in part to the loss of his own family by American munitions (napalm) and his shame at seeing his fellow countrymen collaborate.

In times of war even the most rational of men will make decisions that seem wholly disconnected from whom they really are at heart. Some will take a road less travelled and stand alone-clutching morals and a tenacity of spirit tightly to their chest. Others will fall short of expectations and undergo a transformation that makes them unrecognisable even to themselves. They will perform acts that are despicable when viewed rationally and in the aftermath, they will be remembered as evil men fighting against good. But to these men-when they look back and reflect on everything that has come to pass, they will only ever see the wrongs committed against them. So even though Ban Toh's iron fist had brought terror into the lives of all who cut a swathe across his path, he acted out of vengeance-his family every single member had been wiped out in one deadly afternoon of napalming. He would never forget that day; a part of him died alongside his wife and children-and for that he would never be merciful-he would never show kindness to the invading army. He hated them with a fury that only grew stronger every day.

**A/N:** So there you have it, the conclusion to chapter 5. Chase is being tortured, the girls are tucked safely in their beds for the night. Nate and Luke both wake up feeling the same all encompassing terror-what could it be?

Is anyone still reading this? Kinda feels like maybe this story is a little out there for people-seeing as I only got a couple of reviews for the last chapter. Come on people, if you're taking the time to read the story-why not take a second to leave a thought or two.

Ok, well plea over-Hope everyone who is still reading this enjoyed the chapter.


	6. Daybreak, An Excursion and Brooke

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the show or it's characters. Thanks to everyone who took the time to review. It is always appreciated.

Daybreak, An Excursion and Brooke

Light filtered in through the canopy of trees overhead, the rays cast an eerie glow as they descended on the canvas covering that had been sheltering the girls for the night. Peyton was the first to stir awake, since being in Vietnam she had become somewhat of a light sleeper. She opened her eyes slowly and rubbed the tiredness from them, Haley started to stir beside her. She could feel Brooke twist in her sleep and mumble something incoherent. Peyton stifled a laugh and disentangled herself from Brooke's embrace. She got up slowly and noiselessly with a strong desire to pee. She edged her way over to a thick part of the jungle and squatted down. Sweet relief, she already felt ten times better, she hastily pulled her trousers back up and rejoined the boys at the makeshift campfire. They were boiling some water and someone had made what looked like porridge. Peyton helped herself and then went and brought Haley and Brooke some breakfast. The three of them sat together munching away each lost in their own thoughts.

Derek, John, Andre, Billy, Jack and Johnny in the mean time were talking in low voices about the perceived location of the enemy prisoner camp.

'Vietcong Intel from last month indicates that there has been consistent movement in this square mile radius, a lot of coming and going. According to one of the villagers we spoke with the prisoner camp is very well hidden and guarded but can be located with the right tools'. Derek and the others sat listening as Jack and Johnny outlined how they had come across this information and how best to use it.

In the meantime Peyton had taken their bowls and washed them out with some creek water. She stowed all the utensils back in everyone's packs and went down to the creek to wash her face and take a little time for herself. Her thoughts turned to Luke, her mind was usually in some way or another consumed by him, for the most part she pushed all her worries and fear for him to the back of her mind. This time it was different she started crying, she felt an ache inside of her and then it began to rain.

Peyton had moved from the creek and now stood sheltered underneath a giant palm leaf. She tilted her head skywards and shouted; 'Is this the best you can do? Two dead moms, a psycho stalker, a heart attack-Really?! I refuse this, all of this. Luke wherever you are, I'm always with you. I will find you. I promise you I will never give up!' Peyton's face had tears streaming down it, her hair was plastered to the side of her face, but her eyes were glinting with determination and renewed vigour. Her statement had been a long time in the making; she had needed to release everything. She wiped a fresh batch of raindrops off of her forehead and felt her heart lighten its load. She smiled inwardly and felt as though she could regain her sense of self, she could still feel Luke's presence within her and that gave her hope. If that feeling ever went away Peyton would know that Luke was gone from this world-until that happened Peyton would draw strength from it.

Whilst Peyton had been down at the creek, dealing with her emotions, Haley had taken a short walk around the perimeter. She had big, scary news and she needed to tell someone, she had known before they had left for the jungle but all she could focus on was getting Nate, Luke and Chase back. Her emotions and hormones were all over the place, one minute she was terrified the next she was smiling. She needed to find Peyton and at least let someone else know what was going on with her.

Haley took off in search of Peyton and spotted her standing underneath a Palm tree, her eyes were closed and her body was leaning against the trunk. Her hair was in disarray but she was radiating a sense of calm-which was unbelievable given the set of circumstances they were currently in. Haley marvelled at Peyton's strength, this girl was beyond tough, she was a survivor no matter what got thrown her way-she always managed to hold it together. If only Haley had seen Peyton minutes ago-she might have thought twice about confiding in her friend-as it was all Haley could see was her friends tenacity and strength of will. Peyton opened her eyes and spotted Haley straight away, she smiled at her.

'Hales, is everything ok? You seem a little lost in thought there, what's going on?' Peyton had seen the day dreamy look on Haley's face and was starting to worry.

'Yeah, I'm ok. I mean.. I'm scared pretty much all the time and I'm worried about the guys and Brooke has been driving me nuts, but apart from that I guess I'm doing alright. Oh and I…well' Haley took a deep breath, looked Peyton directly in the eyes and blurted out; 'I'm pregnant'. Peyton had been smiling as Haley rambled on, but now her mouth opened and closed in surprise and she clasped Haley's hands in her own. She forced Haley to look up at her.

'Hales, that's great news. I'm so happy for you and Nate-does he know?' Peyton pulled Haley in a tight hug and felt her friend relax and breathe out in relief.

Haley shook her head and mumbled something against Peyton's shoulder.

'What? Hales I didn't quite catch that'. Peyton gently broke from the hug and looked at Haley's worried face.

'I was going to tell him after the USO show, but then the crash happened and well everything just became so life changing and dangerous I couldn't really process it all'. Peyton took Haley's hands in her own and told her that it was going to be ok that they would do whatever it took to save everyone. Nate would be back with them in no time and they would all go out and celebrate the upcoming birth of Haley and Nate's first child.

Haley smiled gratefully at Peyton and started to feel much better, it had been great to finally share her news with someone-she felt a weight lift off of her. Peyton grinned and said they should head back to camp-they would need to be leaving soon.

Haley and Peyton got back to camp and saw the boys had packed up the wires around the perimeter and were ready to go. Brooke was nowhere in sight. Peyton asked Derek where she was.

'She went behind some bushes over there about five minutes ago, she said she wouldn't be longer than ten minutes and told us to tell you that she had packed her bag and just had one thing left to do'. Peyton nodded at Derek and went over to where they had slept the previous night; sure enough all of Brooke's things were packed-along with her and Haley's stuff. Peyton smiled and went and sat with Haley and the guys. They were chatting in low voices and discussing what was in store for them for the rest of the day. Ten minutes went by and there was still no sign of Brooke. Peyton started to worry. She excused herself from the group and said she was going to go and get Brooke. She headed in the direction that Derek had said she had gone in.

Peyton finds Brooke ensconced behind some trees and sitting cross-legged on the jungle floor, her head is down and Peyton looks on in disbelief.

'Really Brooke? You're straightening your hair?!! Seriously, you told Derek you weren't going to be that long and that what you had to do was important-and this is it?! We've been waiting for ten minutes!' Peyton just stared on in total disbelief.

'What?! Just because we are in the middle of the jungle, does not mean that I want to walk around looking anything but my best'. Brooke says this with a raised eyebrow and a smirk set firmly in place. Despite all the drama and danger it was moments like these that eased Brooke's terrible fears. Brooke needed to do normal things to keep her panic and fear under control.

She put on a brave face whilst around everyone else-she had been doing it for years and it came naturally to her. But in the dead of night when everyone else lay sleeping Brooke let go. All of her fears came to the forefront of her mind and she allowed them to crowd her-it felt like a release of sorts, because by the time the sun came up Brooke was back to her usual cheery self-albeit tinged with a slight note of apprehension.

Brooke stood up and shook her arms and legs free of dirt from the undergrowth. Peyton just stood staring at her, she wasn't mad with Brooke-she was somewhat amused. Trust Brooke to bring a sense of normalcy to the jungle! The two walked back to camp together, Peyton was visibly smiling and Brooke was just smirking quietly away to herself as her curtain of perfectly straight hair hung down her face framing her features perfectly.

_**Phoung's village…..**_

Luke had awoken with that same sense of impending doom only to see Nate staring at him with the same expression creasing his features.

Luke swung his legs down and out of the hammock. Nate did the same and they sat facing each other, there was a thickness hanging in the air between them, a palpable tension where words were not required.

'Something's wrong, I have this weird feeling that I can't quite put my finger on'. Luke was the first to break the tension, after he had voiced his concerns he looked up and into Nate's eyes.

Nate took a deep breath and looked skyward, 'I feel the same way, but we should get ready and find Phoung and Tran-we need to leave as soon as possible'. Luke nodded his head and the two began to pack up their stuff. They slung their backpacks on and shouldered their rifles.

Luke nods at Nate and the two start walking in the direction of Tran's hut. Their footsteps echo in the silence of the morning air, insects crawl and creep about underfoot. Small birds chirp overhead and call morning greetings to one another. Small lizards can be seen scampering up and over some felled logs. Nate's eyes take all of this in, as his eyes scan the tree line; he feels a sense of calm wash over him. It is the simple things in life that soothe us the most, but for Nate it was the ebb and flow of a simple village morning.

They reach Tran's bamboo hut and knock softly on the door. A low murmuring can be heard coming from inside followed by a softly called, 'Come in'. Luke gently pushes the door open and sees Tran clad in plain shorts and a white undershirt, his right hand holds a steaming mug of sweet tea. He gestures for them to take a seat. They both shuffle over to the table, hanging their rifles and backpacks on hooks attached to the wall. Tran offers them some breakfast and they sit around talking about how they are going to get Nate and Luke near Ban Toh's camp.

_**Ban Toh's Camp….**_

Chase slowly opened one eye as the other was swollen shut, he waited a moment for his vision to adjust to the morning sunlight and then he lifted his head up. He had been tied to a chair and left in the same position all night, Ban Toh had punched him once in the face-causing his right eye to explode in pain and swell up to the point where he could no longer see out of it. Chase had gasped in pain and then slumped forward, he was weak from the lack of food and water and the immense pain he had been in-didn't exactly lend him any fortitude-to put it simply he was exhausted.

He shifted his body forward and felt the ropes tighten around his wrists; it tore at the skin and reopened the just barely dried wounds. He winced in pain and slumped back in the chair, Chase could do nothing but wait. He started to tremble a little at the thought of what else was to come; his mind started playing havoc conjuring up horrific imagery of mutilated and badly decomposing bodies. Even if by some miracle Chase made it out alive he would never be the same again, Ban Toh would haunt his dreams, he would never rest easy.

Eric had told him that even with the physical torture the mind was the most damaging, it went to places that even Ban Toh's punishments couldn't reach, and that thought alone terrified Chase more than anything. He didn't want to become a broken shell of a man, someone who was afraid to close their eyes at night fearing what they would encounter, he wanted to stay strong and be resilient. He needed to be the kind of man that Brooke could rely on, the kind of man who fought with every single cell in his body until he had nothing left. Chase felt a new strength take a hold of him, he would hold onto this even in his darkest moments and their were sure to be more, as long as he didn't lose himself he might just make it out of there.

They came for him just as the sun was peeking its way through the canopy of trees, they were dressed in neatly pressed army fatigues and they all had rifles cradled in their arms. Ban Toh stood at the front of his band of not so merry men and called orders sharply and quickly, they scurried away to do his bidding. Chase was soon reunited with Eric and Tommy both of whom were predictably shaking a little, they hadn't been tortured together since that first week and so they knew that it would be bad this time-much worse than before, Chase didn't know what to expect, so he stayed calm and stared off into the distance.

Ban Toh spoke in clear and precise English, he asked Chase if he knew the location of the petrol depot and the munitions stockpile used to arm the helicopters. Chase just shook his head, Ban Toh smiled at his answer and went across to Eric and repeated the question. He got the same answer, Tommy meanwhile had passed out in fear and was lying slumped over in his seat. Ban Toh ignored him completely and then focused his attention back on Chase.

'I know you are lying Yankee, now I can play this game all day long if I have to, but you will not come out of this very well'. Ban Toh sneered at Chase and then calmly lit a cigarette and placed in gently between his lips inhaling deeply whilst looking at Chase the entire time.

Ban's eyes were lit from within with the intensity of a man who radiates nothing but hatred, his quiet intensity belied his physically abusive nature, he would look calm but he had been know to perpetrate heinous injuries upon those prisoners currently ensconced within his prisoner camp.

Chase looked up in defiance at Ban Toh and repeated again that he didn't know the location of munitions or the petrol depot as he had only arrived in Nam a little over a week ago. Chase was partially telling the truth he knew the location of the petrol depot as that is where the helicopters were taken for refuelling-him being a pilot and all kinda made it important for him to know the location of these things. Ban Toh however didn't know that Chase was a pilot, for all he knew he was just another marine who had been captured, or so Chase thought. Ban Toh had noticed the wings insignia on his shoulder and knew that Chase was either a pilot or one in training.

He smiled coldly at Chase and then leaned forward and extinguished his cigarette on Chase's hand. The screaming began in earnest as Chase felt his skin prick with pain and it shot all the way up his arm, every nerve ending was suddenly brought to life and he squeezed his one good eye tightly shut as tears of pain leaked from it.

'You will tell me Yankee, everything I need to know, I am sure of it. You are lying about what you don't know and the only punishment for that is more of the same treatment. However I feel generous today, you will be given some food and water and then you and I will talk and this time you will not lie to me'. Ban Toh finished speaking and then motioned for one of his soldiers to bring him water, they quickly returned and Ban Toh left his men with instructions on what to do regarding the new prisoner. He was to be given food, water and a clean dressing for his burn. If it got infected then Chase would be delirious for days on end and would be no use in getting information from. Ban Toh may have been a cruel and crude man-but he was not a stupid man. Getting information out of someone required time and patience, allowing wounds to fester and become infected could be detrimental to Ban's own health-so although he tortured his prisoners and left them scarred and broken he also had a practical outlook.

Meanwhile, Peyton and her crew had made quick progress through the jungle, this was due in large part to them following a river trail, and it was also safer as there were less chances of finding booby-trapped areas. It also meant that no-one stumbled and fell over causing everyone else to follow suit and wait patiently whilst the stumbler collected his or herself together.

Peyton wiped the sweat from her forehead and cast her eyes to the scene behind her, the guys had peeled off into groups of two and were snaking their way through the jungle cautiously listening out for the sound and movement of other people. Brooke was muttering away under her breath and waving a fan in front of her face, Haley was smiling and focusing on the ground in front of her, and they all seemed relatively ok, which was a relief. Well it was until the sound of gunfire permeated the jungle floor. Bullets whizzed overhead as all three girls ducked and sought cover in the undergrowth. The boys all returned fire and for the next five minutes that was the only sound that could be heard.

Peyton, Haley and Brooke all stared into one another's eyes and felt the terrible fear that was present, they knew of the danger but this was real, bullets could and would kill. They could be killed-all of them could die……


	7. Gunfire, Torture & Reunion

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the show or it's characters. Thanks to everyone who took the time to review. It is always appreciated.

Gunfire, Torture & A Reunion

The air was thick with gun smoke, it swirled about and then a gentle breezed coasted through and it began to clear.

Peyton lay on the ground her rifle placed directly in front of her, the whites of her eyes were visible as she trembled in fear and felt the adrenalin race through her tiny frame. Haley had assumed an identical position and both lay side-by-side ready to fire their weapons at the slightest hint of movement. Brooke on the other hand had leapt through the air and landed rather unceremoniously in a thick and gelatinous pile of sticky mud. She had sunk in it up to her thighs, she had sought the safety of a clump of trees-little did she know what was behind them. She had landed face first in this mud and slowly pulled herself up, her carefully straightened hair was now riddled with mud, insects and what she could now see on her arms-were leeches. She quickly started squealing and swinging her arms back and forth trying to dislodge the most unwelcome visitors.

Peyton heard what she thought was Brooke screaming in terror and pain and craned her neck behind her, she couldn't see anything and she was too scared to get up and investigate. The boys still hadn't given the all clear, so for now she would stay lying low. Haley nudged Peyton in the ribs and the two of them conferred in low voices.

'Was that Brooke?' Haley swallowed down the fear and sought reassurance from Peyton.

'I think so, I saw her fly off into the trees behind us as soon as the bullets started whizzing overhead'. Peyton had barely had time to get herself to relative safety and she knew that Brooke had reacted on instinct.

'Do you think it's safe to move back a little, maybe if we shuffle one at a time-you can keep your gun trained on the ground in front and cover me, then we can switch and I'll cover you'. Haley spoke quietly and Peyton just nodded her head in agreement. Haley slowly started to move her body backwards whilst Peyton's eyes swept the area in front of her for any signs of movement. She felt a light tug on her ankle and peered round to see Haley in position with her gun ready and waiting for Peyton to repeat the same actions of moments ago.

Peyton moved back slowly until she was once again along side Haley, they were now close enough to the clump of trees to poke their heads around the trunk and see what all the screaming had been about.

Haley was the first to look and the sight that met her eyes-made her laugh out loud. Peyton shuffled over to Haley and looked over her head, she immediately burst into laughter.

Brooke stood covered in mud, it was strewn all through her hair, she had streaks of it coursing down her face and she was desperately swatting at her arms trying to disentangle the leeches from their firm hold on her. Her mouth was pinched in pain and fear, but she also looked very, very pissed off.

'I'm so glad you two find this amusing! Now get over here and help me out of this mud and please tell me you know how to get these leeches off!' Brooke fixed her gaze firmly on Peyton and Haley and threw her hands up in the air when she saw nothing but laughter and tears streaming down their faces.

'Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer get your butt here right now!' Brooke brought the old middle name trick out of the bag and moaned in disgust until she saw Peyton slowly stand up and make her way over to where Brooke was standing. Peyton held her hand out for Brooke to grasp and when she felt Brookes hand close over hers she smiled. This moment was short-lived as Peyton found herself headed directly for the mud, before her face could hit it-she pulled Brooke down with her. The pair of them lay tangled in each other; Peyton had managed to twist on to her side and very wisely had left her rifle behind with Haley. She pushed Brooke off her and stood up, she grabbed Brooke and they both sluggishly made their way over to where Haley stood laughing uncontrollably.

'Oh, you should have seen Peyton's face-it was priceless and then Brooke's reaction to experiencing another mud bath-I thought I was going to lose my mind-now that was hilarious. Plus I got it all on my iPhone-you have got to love the video software on this thing. I can't wait to upload this'. Haley was leaning against a tree and held her phone in her hand, she had started off by taking photos of Brooke-but then decided to get a video shot of her, she practically squealed with joy when Brooke pulled a fast one on Peyton and dragged her down into the mud with her.

Peyton just shook her head and giggled, so even though mere minutes had passed since the very real and scary gunfight, it was insane and unpredictable moments such as these that allowed the girls to feel something other than panic and fear. The boys had slowly made their way over to the girls and they stood around grinning at one another.

Derek spoke first, 'The area appears to be secure, but we can't stay here for much longer, we heard the sound of people crashing through the jungle and it appeared to get fainter the closer we fired our bullets-so it seems we scared whoever it was, off'.

Peyton sighed in relief, which quickly turned to anger, how dare someone shoot at her and her friends, albeit they were engaged in war, but this was ridiculous. They hadn't even started firing first; it was an ambush more than anything. These thoughts floated through her mind until an idea began to manifest itself. Peyton gathered her rifle and pulled Derek to the side.

'What if we were to go after whoever it was that was shooting at us?'. Derek nodded and gathered the motley crew together. He told them the plan they had in mind; it would consist of each of the girls being partnered with one of the guys to ensure their safety. Brooke, Haley and Peyton readily agreed and they set off in pursuit of their attackers.

Somewhere in the Jungle…

Tran had insisted on accompanying Luke and Nate, it was a given that Phoung would be going with them-she was the best tracker in the village plus she knew where all the booby traps were located-so she was indispensable.

'Luke, do you think we'll be okay? I mean, do you think we'll make it out of here with Chase? After talking with Tran and Phoung there is a good chance that we could end up captured as well. We are severely outnumbered and it's not like Chase is going to be in a camp that has easy access'.

Nate had felt the need to confide in Luke and perhaps alleviate some of the pressure he felt embarking upon this dangerous mission. He knew they had no real choice other than to go and rescue Chase but at the same time he couldn't help but be afraid of what could happen to them.

Lucas shook his head and playfully bumped shoulders with Nate, 'First off-we have Tran and Phoung with us, we are trained for this kind of work and we have to keep in mind that there is no other solution, we never leave a fellow soldier behind-dead or alive. Chase is our friend, he needs us-but it's more than that-he will be relying on us to come and get him. We owe it to him and to ourselves, I couldn't have lived with myself if we had turned our backs on him'. Nate smiled and felt himself begin to feel a little less stressed out, he believed Luke's words, but it was more than that he trusted in them and he knew they had made the right decision. Besides Brooke would never have forgiven either of them if they had just left him there.

Nate motioned for Luke to get down; he squinted at his brother but did as he was asked. Once they were hidden, Luke turned to Nate and said, 'What's going on?'

'3 clicks to the south, do you see it?' Luke swivelled his head in the direction Nate had mentioned, he saw two Vietnamese looking men dressed in combat fatigues, he cocked his rifle took aim and they both started shooting.

Phoung and Tran gathered their own weapons and began firing where Luke and Nate were shooting from. The bullets whizzed overhead and some landed a little too close for comfort. Nate and Luke both started slowly moving backwards and covering themselves even more, Luke whispered commands quickly and quietly. They kept firing their weapons and soon enough the gunfire died down.

This was down to Phoung legging it through the jungle and her father hot on her heels, Nate and Luke quickly followed suit, they didn't want to lose their guides at this stage. Failure would be a certainty, they gathered their weapons and quickly ran after Phoung and Tran. They caught up to them quickly and all four stood breathless and panting up against a few trees. Phoung looked terrified, Tran had a look of concentration set in his features. Luke was surprisingly calm and Nate was just Nate-he really didn't know how to feel at this point.

Luke heard a twig snap off and to the left of where they were standing, he cocked his weapon and pointed it in the direction of the noise. Nate followed suit and all four of them stood there guns poised ready for any and anything.

_**Meanwhile….**_

Chase had been strapped to his chair for over twenty-four hours, his nose felt broken and had now settled into a dull throb. Blood that was now dry ran in thin rivulets down his face, his skin on his hand had puckered around the burn that Ban had so kindly bestowed upon him. Chase felt himself getting angry, he had been physically abused and left to stew, and he knew anger would drain his energy but he couldn't help it. Eric lay slumped forward, he looked uncomfortable but at least he hadn't been used as a punching bag for the better part of the last four hours.

It was mid morning and the sun was causing sweat to pour off of Chase's face, he could feel every part of his body start to overheat. He felt faint, delirious and it took every shred of willpower he had to remain conscious. He cautiously opened his one good eye and cast a sneaky look around the camp. Ban Toh was conspicuous by his absence, his guards were huddled together around a table placed beneath a fern tree, and they were playing some sort of card game. Their rifles were perched at their sides and they all had cigarettes dangling from their hands, there was a lot of noise and laughing and hurried conversation. They were taking a break and seemed wholly unconcerned with the three prisoners sitting tied to chairs off to the right of them.

Chase sat uncomfortably in his seat and flexed his hands to see how much he could move them and also assess the chances of him being able to free himself from the rope around his wrists. He discovered it was futile and also very painful to do so, he stopped doing that and just sat there. He had never felt more trapped in his life, he could barely move without wincing in pain and he began to feel very faint. His head slumped forward and he fell into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile Peyton had stood shoulder to shoulder with Derek and pressed forward ever deeper into the jungle. Everyone had moved quietly, but the air was thick with nervous anticipation, Peyton could feel the adrenaline course through her veins, she hastily mopped her forehead and clutched her rifle a little tighter. Derek motioned for everyone to crouch down; he had seen something glinting 2 clicks to the right of them.

Derek edged closer, Peyton was tucked behind him, and Brooke and Haley were staring forward concentration etched in their features.

'What are they looking at?'. Brooke was not as jungle ready as everyone else and it took her a little longer to spot the subtle clues that pointed to traps, or possibly people who may be crouched in the undergrowth.

Haley shook her head and motioned to the silhouette against the tree, you could just make out the peak of a cap. Brooke gasped quietly and slowly bent down. She felt as though she was going to be sick.

'Is that what I think it is? What do we do? Are we going to stay here? Or are we going to start shooting, cos if it's the latter I want to find a good place to hide first, a mud bath is definitely not something I am keen on doing again-ok?' Brooke scowled but there was a gentle and playful look in her eyes.

Peyton stifled a snort and cast her eyes back to look at Brooke, 'We're going to loop back around and surprise whomever it is standing there, just stick with Andre-you'll be fine ok?'. Brooke trusted Peyton and seeing as there weren't any other options at this point she nodded her assent and went and stood next to Andre. He looked at her and told her everything would be all right as long as she stuck close to him and did everything he said no questions asked.

Brooke raised an eyebrow and said, 'I'll stay close to you, and as for the doing everything you tell me-not gonna happen buddy-but I'll try not to get us both killed-that's the best I can do ok?' He chuckled at her and told her she was handful but I guess her terms were acceptable.

Haley took a deep breath and flanked Peyton's right side they cautiously walked backwards and looped back around. They could make out a woman and a man, both looked Vietnamese. 'Does anyone see the guy with the hat?' Derek had been scanning the area looking for signs of the figure in the fatigues, when he didn't spot them he began to worry, something wasn't right. It looked like a trap. 'Everyone take cover, something's wrong. Haley and Peyton crouched beneath a fern tree and trained their rifles on the man and woman; Brooke did another flying leap thing and landed noisily in some bushes. It would seem every time she panicked her instincts told her to fly through the air. Brooke was possibly the worst soldier to take on a covert mission but she did provide the comic relief and with their luck holding hopefully she wouldn't get them killed either.

'What are we doing? Why are we waiting?' Haley looked scared and she was pressed close up against Peyton, she leaned into her side and Peyton just gave a look that said no matter what-she would take care of her.

Haley felt a hand cover her mouth from behind, she had scooted behind Peyton to cover them both better. The hand across her mouth smelt of gunpowder and sweat, she swallowed her fear down and turned her head to see who was trying to kidnap her. Nate's eyes drank her in, he had seen her from a distance and told Luke he wanted to surprise them. Luke was right behind Nate.

'Haley, are…Nate? Luke? What the…?'

'Hey Blondie!' Luke closed the gap between them and swept up in his arms, he placed kisses all over face, and lastly captured her lips with his own and brushed the tears from under her eyes.

Peyton felt her heart rate speed up as she kissed her boy for the first time in what seemed like a really long time. Behind her Haley and Nate were embracing and murmuring in low voices to one another. The rest of her crew were still ensconced in there hiding places and covering what they had thought was the enemy.

The reunions were short-lived as Brooke emerged from the bush she had flown into; she had a few twigs and leaves stuck in her hair and a scowl fixed firmly in place. Her scowl soon turned to a smile as she took in Nate and Luke.

Tears of relief welled up in her eyes and she ran over and hugged Luke and Peyton who incidentally were still wrapped in each other's arms.

'Thank God you guys are ok-wait where's Chase?'

Nate took a deep breath and said, 'Brooke he was taken prisoner, there was nothing we could do, except try and follow them'.

Brooke nodded her head and swallowed her fear, she felt the cold shadow of pain seep into her bones at the thought of what could be happening to Chase. She knew that wherever he was-he was in bad shape. Traditionally speaking, prisoners of war even if they survived were beaten and broken. Her mind began to race as she considered the endless scenarios of what Chase was going through. Her palms began to sweat and she felt her heart thump in her chest. The last thing she remembered before passing out was how cruel the hand of fate had been in taking Chase from her. Luke caught her falling figure and held her gently in his arms.

'Is she ok? Haley grab her water bottle for me?' Peyton uncapped the canteen and splashed some water on Brooke's face, it caused Brooke to splutter and open her eyes. She looked up and saw Peyton looking at her with concern.

'I'm ok; I think the heat just got to me. Why are you all looking at me like that? I just need a minute. I'll be fine'. Brooke shrugged off her fainting spell and stood up slowly, she gathered her rifle, her water canteen and walked back over to where she had seen Derek standing. He gathered her in his arms and told her it would ok. They would do everything they could to save Chase. Brooke just nodded against his shoulder and then steeled her resolve. She made a promise to herself, standing in the middle of the jungle-that she would never allow herself to lose hope. She would remain strong and that thought alone is what got her through the next five minutes as Luke and Nate were introduced to the others.

Peyton held his hand and squeezed it gently as she sought reassurance that he was in fact really there and not just a mirage. He placed a tender kiss to her temple and then led them over to Phoung and Tran.

Introductions were made swiftly and everyone appeared to be relatively calm.


	8. A Trek, Renewed Hope

Chapter 8, A trek-Renewed Hope

Brooke stood with a rifle holstered securely over her shoulder; she had a water canteen clipped to her waist and a determined look on her face. She hadn't spoken a word for the last three hours and any attempt at conversation was met with a steely glare and a dismissal. They left her alone realizing that she needed time to process it all and that pushing her to deal with it would not be helpful to anyone least of all Brooke.

They came for him at dawn, they untied his hands and roughly walked him over to the pit, and he was unceremoniously dumped in the prison and felt water trickle down his back. They had thrown a canteen in with him and the top had fallen off as it bounced off the back of his head-spilling some of its contents on him. He sighed and picked up the bottle, he took a quick slug and replaced the cap. He found a spot by the wall and away from the light and slumped down. He felt so weary and being thrown into the bamboo prison further compounded his injuries. He cursed inwardly and placed his hands up to his eyes, he promised himself he wouldn't cry, but he felt so scared he really didn't know if he was going to make it out of here alive.

An hour had passed and then a blur of green and a thump woke Chase from his restless nap, Eric had been thrown back in as well and he looked as though he had been knocked unconscious upon impact as he landed shoulder first into the ground. He groaned weakly and struggled to sit up, Chase put an arm under his shoulder and offered him some water. He nodded weakly at his friend and sipped some water; they both sat against the wall and talked in low voices. Tommy's predicament was unknown and it didn't bode well, if he wasn't with them then it was safe to assume he was being tortured at the present moment in time.

'Eric we need to devise some sort of escape plan, we can't keep going on this way. We either escape or die. I would prefer not to die if at all possible' Chase felt confident that they would be able to come up with something, maybe a diversion or they could befriend a guard.

Eric nodded his head and said he was in, but they couldn't leave Tommy behind-he wouldn't make it on his own.

Tommy tried to be brave, he tried to be many things that morning, but when they came for him and strapped him to a tree and threw rocks at him, he became hysterical. The last thing he remembers is seeing the beautiful Southern shoreline in his minds eye and the blissful peace that washed over him as he passed out when the rock smacked into his forehead. He couldn't remember anything after that, which was just as well. When he finally regained consciousness his left hand was missing fingernails and he had a searing pain coursing up his arm that made him want to die a little.

He was really fucking glad he had been completely unconscious when they had inflicted this injury on him. A guard strode over to where he lay slumped; he raised his left hand and doused it in disinfectant then carefully bandaged it. He was confused, he didn't know why someone was being nice to him, but he figured it made a welcome change from the brutal treatment of earlier.

He scooted further away from the guard and noticed that the man had a blank and passive expression on his face. He must have been high or retarded and therefore considered harmless and beyond coercion. He was simple, like Forrest Gump, he would dress the wound and say not a word to anyone. Tommy groaned in agony when he felt the last piece of gauze wrap around his thumb. He was in hell and there was no one with him to share this awful reality. He whimpered in defeat and pain-no one should ever have to endure this, life was unfair-he hated his new reality-he hated Ban Toh and would have no problem enacting revenge on him should he get the chance.

Brooke had taken to muttering quietly under her breath, she was beyond fear at this point, adrenaline was pulsing through her veins and she felt fearless. She had never really known the true depth of her love for Chase, she knew she loved him and wanted a future with him. But this was so much more, without him-nothing made sense anymore. Every time she felt a piece of him slip away she held on tighter and became a little bit stronger despite all the horrible things they had gone through.

'I'm really worried about Brooke, she hasn't spoken to anyone since Luke and Nate got back, Peyton if we push her to talk to us it could go badly-we should just let her come to us in her own time'. Peyton nodded her head and patted Haley's shoulder, she would leave her best friend alone for now, but if it looked like she was getting worse than Peyton would intervene damn the consequences.

Luke walked beside Peyton and clasped her hand inside his own; he squeezed it in reassurance and told her everything would be alright. They would find Chase and rescue him and get everyone back safely to camp. She just kissed him on the lips and whispered thank you against his lips; he smiled against her lips and wrapped his arms around her waist. They shared a quick moment and then caught up with the rest of the group.

Derek had taken to walking beside Brooke and telling her stories of missions they had been on, he figured it was better if she was distracted. He also knew treating her delicately was likely to backfire, she needed someone to treat her normally or she would probably break down. He even managed to raise a smile on her lips at one of the missions where Johnny had lost his gun only to be told he should never leave it unattended. He had learnt his lesson and was known as Johnny no gun-which was ironic seeing as he slept with the damn thing nestled in his arms.

Brooke didn't feel upset she was hopeful that they would find Chase, she knew thinking anything else would be just too hard, so she focused on the positive instead. She had her friends all around her and she knew that no matter what they would all do their best to make sure they all made it home alive. She held onto this even in her darkest moments of which they were many and trusted in the people beside her to make everything ok.

They broke for lunch and the boy set up a security perimeter ensuring their safety while they sat and ate.

'Brooke, I've just sat down and spoken with Phoung and Tran, they told us that we are close to the prisoner camp and that we should divide up into groups and approach cautiously'. Luke looked into her eyes and saw her acceptance of the situation.

'Hales, you ready to go?' Nate looked at his wife and she smiled at him and nodded her head as she gathered her backpack and rifle. Everyone looked ready to go, Derek carefully divided everyone into groups until everyone was with someone more experienced. It was the safest way for them to approach the camp and was also tactically speaking the most sensible if they wanted to emerge unscathed.

The group moved quietly through the jungle, they used hand signals to talk to one another, Brooke resolutely focused her attention on the ground in front of her. She paid attention to the noise of the jungle listening out for anything unusual, she had no real idea what she would do if she heard something that sounded off to her-but it made her feel better that she was concentrating on something that didn't involve Chase.

Peyton held Luke's hand and they led the group with Tran at his side, they had whispered conversations they only the three of them were privy to, it felt comforting to know that they had a lot more support than when they had originally started out.

Haley was the first to raise the alarm; she had sensed that something was not quite right; everyone immediately took up defensive positions. Peyton had her rifle cocked ready to fire if and when the signal was given; Brooke had a blank look on her face but the intensity behind her gaze more than made up for it. She was beyond pissed off, it went deeper than that, she wanted to kill someone, and she wanted all her fear to manifest itself in someone else's eyes. She was tired of feeling this way-it had become exhausting.

It wasn't the danger that kept everything else at bay; it was the knowledge that they may not survive this-they could all perish. This is what ran through Brooke's head, she felt the guilt overwhelm her, if Chase hadn't been captured none of them would be in this position. She knew no one held it against her, but she couldn't help but feel this way, it was inevitable really, his life hung in the balance and if they failed then well nothing would ever be the same again. Brooke tried not to imagine a life without Chase it only filled her with a sadness that paralysed her, she was terrified they would somehow fail she really didn't know what she would do if that were the case.

They hit the edge of the camp at nightfall, the girls took up defensive positions around the perimeter of the camp and watched the camp and it's movements. It looked like there was only 4 guards on duty at any one time, the rotated around the camp every ten minutes which gave them plenty of time to ambush the four guards.

Derek moved quickly through the camp he stabbed one guard and the guys got the others all that was left to do was find Chase. Brooke walked toward the camp and shouldered her rifle, she looked around her and saw Derek and his men dragging the guards off to the side and dumping them under some trees, she shuddered in horror at the sight before her but she knew that it could just have easily gone the other way. It was weird that the camp wasn't more heavily guarded or had more booby traps in place. Tran explained to Brooke that they didn't really need Booby traps as the camp was so well hidden that having booby traps close by would only reveal it's hiding place so instead of protecting them it would be putting them all in danger.

Brooke nodded her head and saw a hand reaching up from the ground, it was fingertips clutching the mud under a bamboo roof and it caused her heart to beat madly in her chest as she anticipated being reunited with Chase. She ran to the hand and looked down, it was Chase, it was his eyes and the beautiful smile that lit up his face when he saw his fiancée perched above him. He felt like he was hallucinating but then he heard her raspy voice saying that everything was going to be ok and that they would get them out as quickly as they could.

Derek, Luke and Nate pulled Chase out of the prison and he tentatively stepped towards Brooke, he had been dreaming of this moment since he had been caught. She opened her arms and felt him cling to her body, she placed a tender kiss on the side of his head and he pulled back and stared her right in the eyes.

'God I've missed looking at your face, you were all I thought about even when we were being beaten. I know that without you in my life I wouldn't have made it' He kissed her lips and she felt ok again, like all the pieces had finally fallen into place, she just knew that somehow no matter what they would all be ok.

They were still far from being ok at this point, they needed to get safely back to base camp and then send out a few planes on a bombing mission to neutralise the camp. Luke had Peyton in his arms and Haley was clutching Nate's arm. They heard a rustling in the bushes and decided they needed to leave as quickly as possible. Eric and Tommy were being supported by Derek's men and they limped over to the perimeter of the camp, Phoung and Tran led the way carefully picking their way through the jungle. The walk went on for several hours with a few breaks so that everyone could drink some water and rest.

The village was still many hours ahead of them but at least they were relatively safe, the real danger lay in making it safely back to base camp. They would need to radio in a rescue chopper, Eric and Tommy's wounds were potentially life threatening, they had painful wounds and seemed to limp more the further away they got.

Chase and Brooke were talking in low voices and basically getting caught up on what was going on, and what they had missed. He didn't go into too much detail about what had transpired in the camp at the hands of Ban Toh, Brooke could tell from the haunted look in his eyes that there was a lot he wasn't telling her but she didn't want to press him by questioning him. She just kissed him softly on the lips and whispered I love you, whilst embracing him tighter letting him know that she was here and that if he wanted to talk about it she wasn't going anywhere.

This was why he loved her so fiercely, she was amazing in all the right ways, so brave and strong and beautiful. He couldn't believe how lucky he had gotten by her agreeing to marry him, he had never really considered his future all that seriously all he saw now was her with a child in her arms and them underneath a sky full of stars. His arms wrapped around her waist as she told him she was pregnant again. He could almost taste the moment it was so vivid, he couldn't wait to get back and start his life with her, she deserved this reality more than anyone and he would give her everything.

They made it to Phoung and Tran's village eight agonising hours later and they fell into bed not long after Phoung had dressed everyone's wounds and given them huts to sleep in for the night. Peyt and Luke curled up to one another and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer so that she was half lying on him, he craved her touch and he wanted to feel her body just laying on his. Nate and Haley were slightly more restrained but nonetheless tender with each other she was lying in his arms and he was pressing kisses to her temple and they were talking in low voices about what the next day held for them.

Brooke and Chase were lying facing each other and she had her legs tangled with his, he had an arm resting on her side and she placed her hand on his cheek and pressed a sweet goodnight kiss there. Everyone fell asleep almost instantly and Derek and his team set up a security perimeter around the village, everyone's safety was of paramount importance, a chopper was headed to them, it would be there in a few hours once they got the all clear.

Peyton woke up and stirred Luke awake, he blinked a couple of times and looked around him as if taking in his surroundings, he smiled and kissed her when he realized that they were both safe and would soon be back at base camp.

The choppers landed in the space created by Phoung's people, Eric and Tommy were the first ones to be loaded on and they took off shortly after 6am. The ride to base camp seemed to pass by in mere seconds and they all stood surrounded by familiar American combat fatigues, everyone had turned out to see the return of there fallen comrades. Not so fallen it turned out, there were hugs and story telling they all got a compassionate and honourable discharge from the Army. Luke and Nate couldn't see a future in the Army and if they were honest all they really wanted to do was be stateside, playing basketball on the Rivercourt and making love to their wives, being over here and fighting although it had been a profoundly extraordinary experience for them both was not a life they wished to live any longer. They could have been killed and for them there were too many more important things they wanted to experience.

It had taught them the importance of enjoying the people that you love and living a life you always meant to live. Peyton didn't want the worry and heartache that Brooke had undergone and neither did Haley, especially when Nate found out he was to be a father. He resigned his commission the next day and they all returned to Tree Hill North Carolina the next week. They settled into their lives and applied for college, they had the signing bonus and a veteran's pension to support them and so they started college. They bought houses close to one another and had weekend gatherings in between studying for finals and Haley fast approaching her due date.

It was a simple uncomplicated life and it all seemed perfect. Haley had a little girl with deep blue eyes and brown hair. Brooke and Chase were married and she was already pregnant with their first child. Peyton said yes to a marriage and then begged Luke to elope, he could never say not to her-they got married on a cowboy ranch with chickens clucking in the background. It was a uniquely impossibly crazy setting for a wedding, but they just wanted the start of forever and waiting seemed pointless when they had everything they always knew they wanted.

Ok folks, that was it-I may do an epilogue-depends if you guys want one or not. Otherwise assume they all lived happily ever after and it was beautiful. This was my first story and I'm sad to finish it but also really stoked at the response from everyone who reviewed so-thanks guys it's been a blast. Check out my new story 'Splitting Hairs', I have several other one shots planned and some more stories so go forth-read and most of all enjoy.

Tori

_**-Fin**_


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